Nocturne
by DeepAqua4
Summary: Any hope of a quiet night at the bar was destroyed the moment the Prince and his royal retinue walked in. Sure the Royal Shield was attractive but Rox wasn't about to fall prey to his 'charms' any time soon. Gladiolus on the other hand, expected the evening out in Insomnia to go as they always did: flawlessly. His pride aside, the boys wouldn't let him forget it otherwise.
1. Chapter 1

Rox drained her glass, disappointment hitting her as almost pure water washed over her tongue, whatever alcohol that was left heavily diluted by the melting ice cubes at the bottom. She sighed deeply, placing the glass back down on the bar a little too forcefully and catching the attention of the bartender who was leant against one of the counters heavily laden with bottles of various spirits and liquors, lazily drying a glass as he gazed around the relatively quiet bar.

He quirked an eyebrow up at Rox, his slate blue eyes flicking to her finished beverage. "Rough day?"

A sharp laugh burst from her throat. "Like you wouldn't believe, Sergio."

Grabbing her empty glass, the bartender threw it momentarily into the air only to catch it lightly in his fingers, his hand hovering over a particular bottle nestled in with a selection of gins. "Same again then?"

"Go for it."

Sure this would be her third double gin and tonic in about twenty minutes and drinking her favourite gin like that was just eating mercilessly into the pitiful paycheck she'd received yesterday that barely covered living costs as it was. But, as of right now, she couldn't care less and with any luck the more she drank, the less she would care still.

"Do I want to know?" Sergio asked as he fixed her drink, his generous measures not going unnoticed by Rox. She must have looked miserable; he was exceptionally stingy with freebies, even with her.

Him and Rox had quickly hit it off. His bar _Somnus_ had been the first drinking establishment she had ventured into after moving to Insomnia at the age of eighteen in search of the thrill of city life and more crucially, a job. The bar was dingy, the décor leaving a lot to be desired but the drinks were cheap and Sergio's 'charm' as he called it was entertainment alone. The man claimed to be in his fifties but the only thing that suggested that was true was the silver running through the chestnut of his hair which he kept tied back in a ponytail. He had fiercely berated her the moment she had collapsed onto a worn bar stool after an absolutely crushing first day in her new job and she'd known from that moment that they'd get on like a house on fire.

' _You mind wiping that sour look off ya face? You're scaring my customers away._ '

' _Judging by the state of this place, I doubt my face is your biggest problem._ '

' _Can't be that bad, you're still sat here._ '

' _I live above. If I'm gonna have to endure drunk karaoke every night and enough bass to vibrate all my furniture apart then I may as well have a drink in my hand. Oh, and exploit the free wifi._ '

' _Touché. Mark my words though, one drink here and you'll never go anywhere else again._ '

He hadn't been wrong. The pair had quickly discovered they had the same wicked sense of humour and when he could be bothered, Sergio's cocktails were incredible, far better than most in other bars in the city that charged eyewatering prices. As Sergio had most eloquently put when asked why he didn't have a regular cocktail menu like the other places did: ' _They serve you the same old shit in a fancy glass and expect double the gil. Oh, and if you want an umbrella you'll need a fucking mortgage. I can't be arsed with that here. You'll drink what you're given and you'll be pleased about it.'_

The rest was history. Three years later she was still living in the same poky flat with the same depressing job and now to top it off, a psycho ex who hadn't even been worth the trouble in the first place. He'd cheated on her with some blonde and after that had inevitably crashed and burned he rather foolishly thought he could get her back and wasn't taking no for an answer.

"You always want to know," Rox said, answering his question. "I swear you get a kick out of my misery."

Sergio shrugged, setting down her fresh drink and continuing to dry the stack of clean glasses. "Misery makes money in a place like this."

"Real charming, Sergio."

"Gotta pay the bills somehow. Now, what's the latest misfortune to befall you?"

Rox took a large mouthful of her drink and swallowed, sighing deeply. "Turns out blocking his number and telling him to piss off every time he buzzes my flat at some ridiculous time of night wasn't enough to get the message across. The bastard decided to turn up to my work today blinding drunk and begging for me back. That keycard I lost and kept forgetting to deactivate apparently made its way into his possession and so he managed to make it all the way up to the offices where I was sat taking notes for my boss in a meeting with the entire fucking board."

Sergio stopped what he was doing, looking at Rox incredulously. "Shit. You guys have those fancy meeting rooms with glass walls, don't ya?"

"Bingo. Should have sat with my back to the glass but how was I to know he'd be there? As soon as he spotted me he rattled the locked door for a while before abandoning that and just resorting to banging on the glass, sobbing about how much of an idiot he'd been. Security quickly got the hint and dragged him away, not before he screamed through the glass that I was the best shag he'd ever had and he couldn't bear the thought of never sleeping with me again. I know eventually I'll find the whole thing hilarious but I have never wanted the ground to swallow me more than when the chair of the meeting turned to his secretary completely straight-faced and said 'Omit that from the minutes, if you will'."

Sergio looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh. "For the love of Shiva…you really know how to pick 'em. You still got your job?"

"Barely," Rox scoffed. "Had a long lecture from the boss about 'professionalism' and how if I don't get my act together they can 'find someone else to make coffee and stand staring into space in the copy room'."

"Damn, what an ass. I've told you more times than I can be bothered to count, Rox. You need-"

"A new job, yeah, yeah," Rox finished wearily. He was absolutely right of course but it wasn't that easy. If there were actually some decent jobs going she would pack up her desk tomorrow and leave, not before announcing to her boss in front of the entire office that he was an insufferable twat and everyone knew he had made a pass at the girl from the café at the Christmas party the year before. Well, at least the lower employees knew but with any luck some senior staff would be present for her departing speech and she would get a small portion of the three years of revenge she deserved.

"I know I keep banging on but you've got a talent, Rox. It's beyond me why you haven't pursued it yet."

He was referring to her aspirations as a singer, a pastime she only liked to show off in the shower or when the bar's karaoke became too dire to bear and she stormed up on stage to show them how it was done. Sergio had been utterly astounded by her voice the first night she'd picked up the microphone and had demanded free tickets to her gigs when she made it big.

"You do realise how unforgiving and demoralising the music business is, right? My job is a joke but at least it means I can afford a roof over my head."

"So the first few years would be a bit rough but you've got to look at the bigger picture here. I'm waiting on you making enough gil so you can finally pay me back for essentially squatting here for three years and using me as a shrink. I could finally sell this dump and retire somewhere warm."

Rox rolled her eyes, gesturing to the beer in his hand. "You probably could have done that years ago if you didn't drink most of what you earn."

Sergio threw a smirk at her. "You try working behind here, putting up with the people that come in on a daily basis and we'd see how long you could stay sober for. Say, you could always just come work for me."

"Like I said, need to be able to afford to live."

Sergio had been about to reply with something witty when his eyes flicked up at the sound of a group entering and shock flew across his face.

"Well fuck me sideways. I think that's the Prince."

Rox immediately glanced over her shoulder to see a group of four men walking through the door and settling themselves in one of the empty booths opposite the bar. The dark-haired Prince was unmistakeable and she presumed the other three were his friends and more likely royal retinue, judging by the serious expression on the one wearing glasses and the sheer size and brawn of the man sat beside him. The small blonde was babbling excitedly already, pulling the Prince in close to take selfies. A harrowing realisation suddenly struck Rox and she turned back to her drink.

"Just great. I imagine it won't be long until the hordes of adoring girls burst through the doors then."

Rubbing his hands together, Sergio grinned. "Probably not. Looks like cocktails are on the menu tonight."

"Wonderful. I'll have a long island, cheers."

"I never said _you_ were having cocktails."

Rox pretended to look offended. "And why not?" she demanded indignantly.

Sergio threw her a pointed look. "You know why. The last time you offered to taste test them for me you ended up helping yourself to whatever you fancied behind the bar, losing me a lot of stock and all my damn customers as you proceeded to hog the karaoke microphone all night and attempt to do stand-up comedy. It was less jokes and more just hurling abuse at people."

"Oh yeah," Rox sniggered. "Come on, it was funny and you know it."

"Hmmm. One of these days I'm gonna bar you."

Rox snorted into her glass, taking a sip. "We both know that's a lie."

* * *

The four men had sighed in relief as they had entered _Somnus_ and found it pretty much empty, the patrons who were already there seemingly indifferent to their presence. Every other bar they had tried had been packed despite it being fairly early in the evening and their arrival had been noticed immediately, excitable gasps and sometimes screams erupting over the music. The group had ventured out for a few relaxed drinks, hoping to remain fairly out of the public eye, if that was at all possible. _Somnus_ was hardly the nicest place in the world but if it meant they could enjoy their evening without constantly being pestered or watched, their surroundings were of little consequence.

"Say cheese, Noct!" Prompto exclaimed as he pulled Noctis close, snapping a few photos on his phone in quick succession and then playing with the filters until he was satisfied.

Ignis regarded the phone with a frown. "Mind not to post those on social media until tomorrow, Prompto. We could do without announcing to the masses where we are."

Prompto's fingers immediately froze and he hastily closed the post he was putting together, locking his phone and placing it down on the table. "Good point. So Noct, what we drinking?"

Noctis shrugged and then threw a knowing look at Prompto. "Don't mind, so long as we don't _start_ with the shots this time."

"Hey that wasn't my fault! It was Gladio's idea..."

"And it's not our fault you're such a lightweight," Noctis chuckled, remembering the absolute disaster Prompto had been that night after Gladiolus had challenged him to a drinking contest. He'd been utterly incoherent by nine-thirty and they'd had to carry him home by ten. "Maybe just get us four beers or something? Gladio, you'll know what to order."

"Make that three," Ignis corrected, pushing his glasses up his nose. "One of us has to get you all home safely and I would rather entrust that duty to myself."

Noctis looked at his advisor in slight exasperation. "One of these days you gotta let yourself relax, Specs. You're gonna burn out otherwise. Right, Gladio?"

Gladiolus had been only half listening to what the men we saying, his attention instead on the woman that was sat alone at the bar and talking with the bartender. The amber of his eyes had caught the hazel of hers as he had entered and she had looked him up and down once before flicking to his eyes again and then turning back to her drink. He hadn't taken his eyes off her since.

She'd checked him out, there was no mistaking it although it was hardly an uncommon occurrence. Gladiolus knew he wasn't bad looking and wasn't afraid to show a little pride in his body. Normally when girls caught his eye, they would blush or smile and lower their eyes coyly as the table of girls at the other end of the bar had demonstrated perfectly as Gladiolus had followed the other three men to an empty booth. The girl at the bar however had looked almost annoyed as her eyes had flowed over the royal party and the more Gladiolus looked at her, the more he felt intrigue creeping over him.

She was dressed casually in skin tight navy jeans and a strappy top that bared her shoulders and a small portion of her back as the material plunged away slightly, certainly nowhere near as dressy as the other girls he'd encountered that evening so far. From what he'd seen she was wearing very little if any makeup but if Gladiolus was being honest, he preferred it that way. Her hair was piled up on her head in a messy bun and Gladiolus couldn't help himself, watching mesmerised as she released whatever had been holding it up and waves of rich mahogany spilled down her back.

A familiar feeling clawed at his stomach and he smirked.

He knew how this evening was going to end.

He was suddenly pulled from his thoughts as Prompto said his name.

"Umm…Eos to Gladio? Anyone in there?"

Gladiolus suddenly became aware again of the three men he was sat with, all of whom were staring at him expectantly. His brain scrambled for the last scraps of the conversation he'd actually been paying attention to.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going," he growled, getting to his feet and squeezing out of the narrow gap between the table and the booth's tattered couch. "Four beers, right?"

"Three," Ignis corrected once more and Gladiolus nodded as he finally freed his leg.

"Right. You want anything else then, Iggy?"

"Ebony if they have it. If not, water will do just fine, thank you."

Gladiolus just grunted before making off for the bar and Prompto watched him, frowning slightly.

"What's got into him?" he asked quietly and Noctis just scoffed.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" When Prompto still looked confused Noctis rolled his eyes and pointed his attention to the scene that was unfolding at the bar. Gladiolus had strolled over and leant his sculpted, intricately tattooed arms across its dark surface, standing just close enough to the woman to make it impossible for her not to notice him. Once he had her attention, he flashed her his trademark grin and began chatting to her.

"Oh," Prompto sighed, a quiver of jealously lancing through him; he wished he could just walk up to girls and talk to them as effortlessly as Gladiolus could. "Guess it's just us three tonight, then?"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Ignis commented, his voice coloured with a little amusement. Judging by the woman's body language and her short replies, she wasn't as interested in Gladiolus and the charm he was no doubt deploying as he had probably imagined. "Gladio's luck with the ladies may be impressive but it certainly isn't invulnerable."

Noctis sighed, placing his hands behind his head and slouching further in his seat. "In other words, we may be in for an entertaining night."


	2. Chapter 2

Gladiolus rested his elbows on the bar, interlacing his fingers and perusing the alcohol selection on display until he felt her eyes on him. Out of the corner of his vision he saw her gaze wash over the inky patterns swirling across the muscles of his arms and shoulders and he permitted himself an inward smirk, his well-used and effective introduction forming itself on the tip of his tongue. He didn't get chance to voice it, however, for she suddenly spoke instead, not meeting his eyes until the very last moment.

"I'm sure whatever pickup line you're choosing in your head as you pretend to browse the drinks behind the bar will be charming and witty but you may have better luck with the girls in the corner. They're practically losing their minds over there."

Gladiolus stared at her in momentary shock. Not only had she read him like a book but she had rejected him before he had even said a word, something he was quite sure had never happened to him before. Perhaps he should have been deterred but she had checked him out twice now and besides, he found her audacity extremely attractive.

Twisting round, he glanced at the table of girls that she was referring to and sure enough, the mere action of looking in their direction caused flustered chaos to erupt, a mixture of heated whispers and barely contained screams audible even over the music as they tried and failed to make it seem like they hadn't been watching him all along.

Gladiolus returned his attention to the bar and shrugged.

"Not my type."

The woman before him arched a slender, dark eyebrow.

"Oh? And what is your type?"

A grin stretched across Gladiolus' face. "Funny you should ask. I usually go for brunettes with hazel eyes who happen to have a taste for…" he broke off, scrutinising the glass in her hand, "…gin, hmm _classy_ ," he added with a wink and a loud snort of laughter sounded a little further down the bar, causing her to bite her lip in an attempt to suppress her own laughter. "Oh, and they enjoy drinking alone and seem to resent me before I've even introduced myself."

She seemed to mull over his words. "That's a very particular type. Rather a shame for you then that I don't happen to resent you, since that would involve knowing you in the first place. I am merely indifferent."

"That is a shame. Tell you what, I'll get your next drink and we'll see if that changes."

A whisper of a smile flew across her lips and her eyes blazed as they wordlessly challenged him.

"And who says I'm letting you buy me a drink?"

"I am. Let's face it, you can deny it all you want but we both know you've been checking me out since I got here. Can't blame you really." His roughish grin widened as she scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Hmm, arrogance. No wonder the ladies fall at your feet."

"I think you'll find it's called 'I've worked hard for this body and I'll be damned if I can't use it to my advantage'."

"Oh well, when you put it like that…" she teased, pausing to take a sip from her glass which she held up and shook, causing the floating ice cubes to clink against the side. "Unfortunately for you again, I'm good for refills."

Gladiolus sighed deeply, folding his forearms against his chest, his elbows still resting on the surface of the bar. "You're not making this easy for me, are you? Luckily I've been trained to not fear challenges with even the most impossible odds. Talking of drinks though, does the guy serving usually ignore this side of the bar?"

Rox had been keeping one eye firmly on Sergio, watching as he quite blatantly neglected her side of the bar, despite clearly seeing the man stood beside her. Given his height, it was pretty impossible not to. He had his back to the bartender though so he couldn't see the pointed looks Sergio was throwing at her and she had to fight to keep a grip on her composure.

"Nope, he's just being a total ass tonight. More than usual, anyway." She leaned a little over the bar. "Oi, Sergio! You mind remembering this side of the bar exists?"

"I'm just finishing up over here!" he called as he unnecessarily flipped glasses and bottles, making a show out a simple round of drinks, clearly stalling for time. "You keep 'em busy with that delightful charm I know you've got in there somewhere."

Rox exhaled deeply; the guy beside her was enjoying himself far too much.

"You've got two minutes or I'm going behind the bar and doing it myself," she retorted, smirking smugly as Sergio whipped his head round, shooting her a warning look.

"Ferox, you take one step behind there and I swear to the Six I really will bar you this time."

Rox would have laughed at his empty threat had the guy stood beside her not tilted his head, staring at her in increased interest.

"Ferox, eh?" he asked, his voice deep and slightly husky.

Taking a deep drink, Rox glared up at him.

"It's _Rox_. Don't even think about using my full name. To this day I've still no idea what my mother was thinking."

A chuckle rumbled in his chest and he ran his fingers through his unruly, dark hair.

"Alright, Rox it is. Mine's Gladiolus but only the King calls me that. Oh, and my dad when I've pissed him off. You can call me Gladio."

The name was familiar; Rox had overheard many a fervent conversation concerning a certain 'Gladiolus Amicitia' in the offices at work, usually consisting of excessive pining and lust for the man. She'd ignored them, figuring he'd just be some semi-attractive guy with passable muscle definition who suddenly became heart-breakingly irresistible when he gained the title 'Royal Shield'. The reality in front of her was quite different, not that it made any difference. She had had quite enough of dealing with men for one day.

Sergio spared her having to reply as he finally wandered over to where she and Gladiolus were, his smirk practically reaching his ears as he felt the full heat of Rox's hostile scowl.

"Sorry 'bout that," he sighed, addressing Gladiolus. "Cocktails are a real pain in the ass. So, what can I getcha?"

Gladiolus' eyes lingered on Rox's for a moment before he turned to the bartender. "Three beers, whatever you got in bottles should be fine, and an Ebony, thanks."

"Sure thing."

Sergio presently set about getting three bottles from the fridge, popping the caps off and setting them down on the bar along with the requested coffee. Gladiolus grunted his thanks, picking everything up in his large hands and as he went to walk away, he twisted back.

"Oh, and add whatever the lady wants to my tab if I'm not back before she's finished her drink." He threw a wink at Rox before strolling back off towards where the others were sat.

"Dangerous move there, big guy," she called after him, fighting fiercely against the smile that was threatening at her lips. "There's a pretty nice bottle of champagne behind the bar just begging to be drunk."

Gladiolus' footsteps slowed and although he didn't fully turn around, Rox could see a grin spread across his face.

"Be my guest darlin', just make sure you save me some."

Her barely contained smile disappeared instantly as Rox turned back to face Sergio, feeling his stare boring a hole through her head.

"What the hell was that?" she demanded in a hiss.

"No idea what you're talking 'bout, Rox," Sergio huffed as he folded his arms and leant against the far counter. The glint in his eyes, however, told a different story.

"You know exactly what," Rox growled, pointing a finger at him. "I didn't see you make one sodding cocktail over there. You left me with him on purpose."

Sergio threw his hands up, grinning at her mischievously. "Guilty as charged. But in my defence, if I hadn't have forced you to talk to him, you would have just given him your usual 'Rox sass' and rejected him before he'd barely said two words, claiming the usual bullshit of 'men are ruining my life'." He said the last few words in a high-pitched voice, overdramatically imitating her.

Rox laughed inwardly; she'd rejected him before he'd even said anything. "Men _are_ ruining my life though. And why do you think I would want to talk to him anyway?" she challenged and Sergio rolled his eyes.

"Oh I dunno, maybe 'cause he's six foot and the rest of fucking gorgeousness all barely squeezed into a tank top and skin-tight leather pants? You're seriously telling me you're not seeing what I am?"

Rox took the longest drink she'd had all night, draining the glass. Of course she saw it. She had seen the curve of every sculpted muscle, the way his eyes had crinkled at the sides as he had grinned wolfishly at her, the dark mass of hair that tumbled to his shoulders and the beard that only accentuated his perfectly defined jawline. She refused to admit any of it though, especially the fact that the mere _way_ he had looked at her, something smouldering in the amber of his eyes, had made her heart flutter uncontrollably and as a result, begin to resent the man as he had suggested she did all along.

Attempting to compose herself, Rox arched an eyebrow questioningly at the bartender.

"Didn't realise you were into guys."

"Neither did I," Sergio laughed, gazing around the bar that was steadily filling up. His Friday night helping hand had just clocked in and both Sergio and Rox acknowledged her as she went to attend to the queue that was had begun to form again at the other end of the bar. "In all seriousness though, Rox, you need to let yourself have a little fun. I'm not saying get into a full-blown relationship again but just enjoy yourself. It may even give the hint to the waste of oxygen that is your ex that you really are over for good."

Rox chuckled at the insult; Sergio had never liked her ex from the start but his opinions had become somewhat more colourful after he had cheated on her. She sighed deeply, pushing her empty glass towards the edge of the bar.

"I'll stay but I'm not promising anything. Either way I am gonna need another drink and I seem to remember you saying cocktails were on the menu."

"Yeah but I also said that you weren't having any."

"That would be a problem if I hadn't been promised 'whatever the lady wants'," Rox countered smugly. "Wouldn't want to upset the Prince's Shield now, would we?"

"You're a piece of work, you know that?" Sergio grumbled, although he was grinning once again. "Fine, fine but don't blame me if you end up embarrassing yourself. You can't say I didn't warn you."

* * *

Gladiolus placed the drinks in his hands down on the table, squeezing himself back into his seat with a grunt. He immediately grabbed a chilled bottle and took a swig from it, watching as Prompto and Noctis furiously pressed on the screens of their phones.

"King's Knight, seriously? You guys ever thought about, I dunno, talking to each other?"

"Be careful what you wish for, Gladio," Ignis warned, reaching for his can of Ebony and opening it before taking a sip. "Thank you."

"You were gone a while," Prompto reasoned, his shoulders slumping as his character was defeated and he threw his phone down onto the table. "Besides, we weren't sure you were coming back, except to bring us our drinks, of course."

Noctis placed his phone in his pocket, grabbing a beer and smiling coolly at Gladiolus. "No luck, then?"

Gladiolus supressed the urge to roll his eyes; he knew where this was going. "With what?"

"With the girl at the bar."

A deep sigh rumbled in his chest. "What did you expect? One smile and I sweep her off her feet and whisk her away into the night? It's a marathon, not sprint and anyway, everyone knows the fun is in the chase."

Quietly enjoying how defensive Gladiolus had suddenly become, Ignis decided to play devil's advocate.

"Still, even from afar she seemed particularly averse to your advances. Perhaps you should just cut your losses now and spare yourself the torment and embarrassment."

Gladiolus threw a glare towards the advisor; clearly they were all revelling in the fact that his charms hadn't worked as they normally did and they most likely wouldn't let him live it down for a considerable length of time if they flopped altogether. Failure had been unfavourable before but now it was absolutely not an option.

He relaxed into his seat, as far as the limited legroom would allow anyway, and took another swig of his beer.

"Mock me all you want but I'll have the last laugh you'll see. The night is young and I'm just gettin' started."


	3. Chapter 3

_Somnus_ quickly became busy, most likely as a result of word about the Prince's presence getting out from those who had spotted him sat in the dimly lit booth. Sergio buzzed around the bar in unusually good spirits, throwing the odd comment over at Rox whenever he passed.

"You better keep this guy sweet, Rox," he had said as he had placed down a second cocktail in front of her. "I've made more in the last hour than I have all damn week."

"I am not flirting with him purely for the sake of your bank balance," she retorted fiercely, pulling the glass closer to her.

Sergio chuckled. "You won't need to. You'll do that all on your own accord." With that he strode away and began serving a waiting customer before Rox had chance to protest. Sighing deeply, she took a sip from one of the straws sticking out of her glass, raising her eyebrows as a mixture of sweet fruit and heady alcohol filled her mouth.

Sergio may have been incredibly irritating but the man could certainly make a cocktail.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out, sighing deeply as she caught sight of two unread messages. One was from her mother and another was from an unknown number that simply read: ' _I was a fucking idiot today Rox. Please…_ ', the edge of the screen cutting off the rest of the message. She groaned, sinking down and burying her head in her crossed arms for a moment.

If it wasn't her unbearable ex pestering her probably from yet another friend's phone, her mother would check in just in time to completely ruin her day. Or, if she was really lucky, both at the same time.

Her family had expected great things after she had moved to the city and in truth, so had she. Three years later they were growing extremely impatient that such achievements hadn't been met and were making no effort to hide it. Rox grimaced as she thought back to her last phone call with her mother.

' _Honestly Ferox I can't believe you still work for that company, no higher than you were when you joined. Have you not thought at all about your career progression? Or finding yourself another man, for that matter?'_

 _'_ _It's not that easy, mom. Things are a lot different here than they are out in the country. I'm a small fish in a very, very big pond and right now I'm just trying not to drown.'_

' _Fish can't drown. I think you're just dragging your feet as usual.'_

 _'_ _For the love of…you know what I mean. And as for men, well perhaps I just want to be on my own for now?'_

 _'_ _Don't be ridiculous. You may be young now but youth is frightfully fleeting. Did you hear about Patricia's daughter? She's got herself a fabulous promotion in that new insurance company, not to mention a very successful fiancé._ '

' _The only reason she got that job was because she was sleeping with the CEO who, absolutely shockingly ends up proposing, weeks after the rumours started that he'd knocked her up. It's a real fairy-tale._ '

' _Really Ferox, how many times have I told you, you must stop listening to the office gossip…_ '

And the conversation would continue in the same fashion until enough time had passed that Rox felt she could claim she had somewhere to be and hang up, usually then heading immediately downstairs to go and vent at Sergio for a while.

Raising her head again, Rox braced herself, going to swipe her finger across the screen of her phone to unlock it only for it to be snatched from her grasp. She wrenched her head upwards, glaring indignantly at Sergio who now had the phone in his hand.

"The hell you doing?" she snarled.

"Judging by the inhuman groan you just made, I would place my money on you either having a pathetic sounding text from Mr 'I cried in front of the entire board because I'll never have great sex again' or a message from a pushy parent enquiring why you've not got your own business, a trophy husband and two perfect kids who are actually brats by now. Am I close?"

Rox gestured to her confiscated phone. "You tell me. You're the one holding my damn phone."

"Ooo, it's the jackpot tonight," he chuckled as he illuminated the screen and he placed the phone in his back pocket, much to Rox's outrage.

"Give me my phone, Sergio," she growled but he just shook his head.

"Nope. You can get it back at the end of the night but for now just try to relax and enjoy yourself. I'm sure you can cope 'till then. After all, there's plenty to keep you entertained tonight," he added, winking in a ridiculously over the top manner before disappearing off to continue serving.

Rox put her hand to her head. What would have been relaxing was if she had been sensible and just gone straight up to her flat. Now, unless she wanted to leave her phone at the mercy of Sergio, she was stuck at the bar until he deemed she had enjoyed herself sufficiently to leave.

As much as she tried, she couldn't help but steal a backward glance towards the booth where Gladiolus and the others had been sitting. She had been purposely ignoring the fact that anything behind her existed at all but despite her efforts, she had become acutely aware of Gladiolus' booming laugh, although in her defence, she was sure it would be hard to miss it whether she was consciously trying to block it out or not.

He hadn't laughed for a while now though and her heart skipped a beat, something clawing at her stomach as she realised the booth was now occupied by a completely different group. Before she had chance to consider the implications of her body's ridiculous reaction, she caught sight of the Prince and his friends over at one of the pool tables, engrossed in what appeared to be a very one sided game. Gladiolus was leant over the entire width of the table, lining up his cue to take a shot.

Rox wrenched her eyes away, fiercely concluding skin-tight leather pants should be illegal, especially during activities that required a lot of _stretching_.

Why was she even looking for him in the first place? She stared at the drink in her hand and sighed. Maybe Sergio had been right about cocktails after all.

Tipsy or not, and the former was rather more accurate now she thought about it, she was not about to fall for something as trivial as good looks, no matter how amazing his ass looked in leather.

And it really did. Not that she was still thinking about it.

The reality was that Gladiolus had failed the moment he had strolled up to her, clearly expecting her to just crumple into a smitten mess with one flash of his smile. No doubt such an approach had been successful countless times before, the table of girls in the corner perfect proof of that.

Rox risked another backward glance to see the entire table practically drooling and barely blinking as they stared openly at Gladiolus. He had straightened up now thankfully but he laughed at something one of the men said and proceeded to raise his arms and tense, the defined muscles contracting all the way along their lengths and across his shoulders and back.

Something gripped the bottom of her stomach again and Rox span back round, exhaling sharply. He knew exactly what he was doing and it was quite frankly _pathetic_.

A plan started forming in her mind. Sergio had told her to have a bit of fun, hadn't he? And after the day and to be quite honest the year she'd had she certainly needed it.

The alcohol was most definitely talking now but she'd already made up her mind. She was playing with fire but where was the thrill if there wasn't a least a little bit of danger? Besides, she would be doing Insomnia a favour, a public service of sorts.

It was about time someone put a hole in Gladiolus' insufferably swollen ego and she would only too happily be the one to do it.

* * *

"Iggy, come _on_ ," Prompto whined as he waited impatiently for Ignis to take his shot. The advisor had been studying the table intently for a few minutes as he deduced the best move he could make, weighing up both the allure of an immediate advance on his lead against the stronger position a more tactical move would grant him. The faintest of smiles graced his lips as he caught sight of an opportunity for both and he bent down over the table, ensuring his cue was at the perfect angle against the white ball before he struck it. It glanced off the edge of one of his red balls, sending it flying into one of the pockets while the cue ball itself stopped just short of another two of his own, effectively blocking Prompto in.

"Patience and strategy is key in a game like this, Prompto," he chided smugly, coming round to lean against the wall to wait for Prompto to take his turn. He gestured to the table that was still littered with yellow balls. "The evidence lies before you."

"Specs has got you there," Noctis chuckled, sat on a bar stood, chin in hand as his elbow rested on the table beside him. Unlike the others, especially Prompto, drinking made him relaxed and sleepy. Well more than normal, anyway.

Prompto just groaned and Gladiolus drained what was left of his beer, abandoning the bottle with the others he had finished and storming round to where Prompto was stood. He held out his hand.

"This is just embarrassing…let me show you how it's done."

"Fine," Prompto grumbled, handing Gladiolus the wooden cue and dropping onto the vacant stool next to Noctis. "Guess you can't make it any worse than it already is."

"Not unless he pots the black, like you did against me one minute into our game," Noctis teased with a gentle elbow in Prompto's side who just looked to the Prince in despair.

"Hey, it was an accident, alright?" he huffed defensively. "I'm just having a bad day that's all. Can't win 'em all."

Gladiolus stretched over the full length of the table, bending down low and lining his shot up. "Can't win any by the looks of it." The cue ball went flying, away from the cluster of Ignis' remaining balls and it ricocheted off the edge of the table, hurtling back in the other direction and striking two yellow balls which subsequently dropped straight into a pocket. He straightened up, throwing a grin at an utterly defeated looking Prompto as he handed the cue back to him.

His gaze suddenly turned to Noctis who was also grinning.

"You might want to bend over a little more, Gladio," he said casually although the piercing blue of his eyes mocked Gladiolus fiercely. "I'm not sure the bar saw enough of your ass then."

Gladiolus shrugged. "Who says I was showing it off? I was just taking my turn."

Ignis took a sip of Ebony before folding his arms over his chest. "A turn that could quite easily have been taken from the other side of the table, most likely producing the same effect with considerably less bending."

"You trying to catch someone's eye there, big guy?" Prompto chuckled, the alcohol he had drunk emboldening him, although that immediately dissipated the moment Gladiolus threw a glare in his direction.

Ignis, however, was not so easily deterred.

"In the animal kingdom it's known as a 'courtship ritual', a phenomenon where the male tries to entice the female into a successful partnership through various carefully choreographed actions. I was watching a documentary on it not so long ago actually. For example, it is well known that a male chocobo will perform a specific dance for his prospective mate, displaying his tail feathers in their full glory."

Noctis was barely containing his laughter as he stared at the expression of Gladiolus' face which was caught somewhere between amusement and outrage. "And you're saying, what? That Gladio was showing off his tail feathers?"

"Precisely."

Prompto fell about laughing and Gladiolus' expression finally settled on amusement, a smirk widening on his face as he scoffed.

"Nah, if I was doing that, I'd be showing off _these_ feathers." He lifted up his arms and tensed, feeling the muscles bulging as he raised the wings of the magnificent eagle inked across his skin.

"Seriously Gladio, cut it out. I think the table in the corner is gonna implode," Noctis chuckled as a chorus of gasps erupted over the music.

Rolling his shoulders, Gladiolus lowered his arms although his toothy grin remained. "I'll take the risk. Now, I'm outta beer. Anyone need another?"

"Me," Noctis replied and when it appeared the others were fine for now, Gladiolus headed back towards the bar, making once more for the end where the young blonde female was serving. He leant against the bar and she soon came over.

"What can I get for you?"

He quirked a dark eyebrow up, flashing her his best smile as he replied, making sure his voice was just a fraction deeper than usual.

"Same again, darlin'."

She immediately blushed and Gladiolus felt satisfaction wash over him as the balance of the universe corrected itself once more. His refined skills of seduction clearly weren't failing him, not that he'd been worried to begin with, but rather he'd just encountered a bit of a challenge and if anything, that made it all the better. He hadn't just said the fun was in the chase to get the others off his back. Although it was extremely flattering that women would literally shove each other out of the way to talk to him, it took all the thrill and sense of achievement out of catching someone's eye. Rox's playful resistance had well and truly piqued his interest and she could continue to deny her attraction all she wanted but it would be futile in the end. He had plenty more tricks up his sleeve; it was purely just a matter of time.

The female bartender returned with his drinks and Gladiolus leant in closer so she could hear him talk over the noise of the bar.

It was time to turn things up a notch.

"Is it normally this busy? You look rushed off your feet, sweetheart."

She laughed lightly, sweeping a few stray strands of blonde hair behind her ear that had fallen out from her messy ponytail.

"I don't mind. It keeps the boss happy."

"Just as well. He's an interesting character. Bet there's never a dull moment in here."

"You can say that again. But I bet being the Prince's Shield is like that too."

Gladiolus leant backwards, allowing his smile to grow. "Damn, you sussed me. What gave me away?"

She looked about to reply when Sergio's voice burst over the music.

"Oi, did I say you could take a break?"

The woman's head snatched to the side momentarily and she turned back, throwing Gladiolus an apologetic look.

"Speak of the devil," she sighed, stacking up the empty glasses that had been abandoned on the bar.

"The fault's all mine, I've been distracting you. I'll leave you to it before I really get you in trouble." He was satisfied his job was done but he threw her a wink for good measure before grabbing his beers.

The conversation had been purely platonic, as intended, but for anyone observing it could easily have appeared as if he was flirting with the female bartender. She had unknowingly played along perfectly, laughing and lowering her eyes coyly in all the right places.

As he turned to walk back to the others, he glanced casually over towards where Rox had been sitting, expecting to see her furiously trying to make it look like she hadn't been intently watching his conversation with the female bartender and more importantly, that it hadn't bothered her one bit.

His eyes narrowed and his grip on the two bottles tightened.

Some guy had sat himself on the empty stool that had been next to Rox and the pair appeared to be chatting. She was playing with her hair and giggling at practically everything he was saying, acting nothing like the hostile woman he had encountered when he had gone over before.

While he had been trying to make her agonisingly jealous, she had been retaliating in exactly the same way.

This would not do.

Not at all.

Gladiolus stormed back over to the others, thrusting one beer into Noctis' hand and slamming the other down on the table.

"I'll be back," he mumbled before throwing himself into the crowds of drinkers.

"Well this should be good," Noctis mused, taking a drink as he watched Gladiolus making purposefully for the other end of the bar.

"This is remarkably like that documentary I was watching," Ignis mused. "Another male stepped in to try and woo the female when it appeared the first was having little luck."

"Who won?" Prompto asked and Ignis sighed, unable to contain his smile.

"Neither. While the males proceeded to try and outdo one another, the female grew bored and wandered off. It took them rather a long time to realise she had even left at which point they hurried away, their pride in absolute tatters."

Prompto suddenly looked worried. "As much as I would love to see this happen to Gladio, and believe me I do, don't you have a training session with him first thing tomorrow, Noct?"

Noctis grimaced; he'd completely forgotten about that. He thought about it for a moment and then shrugged.

"I don't mind. It'll be totally worth getting a beating if we get to watch Gladio fall from glory."

Ignis frowned slightly as Prompto nearly fell of his chair for no reason at all, knocking his drink over which Noctis caught before too much could spill, and proceeding to look totally perplexed about the whole thing.

They were entering into the stage of the night he usually dreaded, the combination of Prompto's almost non-existent alcohol tolerance and Gladiolus' insistence on exerting his dominance wherever he could meaning a rapid descent into some form of disaster was inevitable. This evening looked to be no different.

"Indeed," he sighed in response to Noctis. "He's certainly got a long way to fall. We best brace ourselves."


	4. Chapter 4

She should have seen it coming.

And yet, it pissed her off all the same.

She'd happily returned to just minding her own business when she heard Sergio shout across the bar to his other member of staff who, by the sounds of it, was slacking.

"Oi, did I say you could take a break?"

Rox's head snapped up; Sergio didn't normally crack the whip unless they were crazy busy and even then he was never quite so blunt. As she followed Sergio's line of vision however, she suddenly understood why.

The female bartender, the name of which she really should have known by now, was blushing sheepishly as she jumped backwards away from Gladiolus, the pair looking like they had been practically whispering into each other's ears moments before. Gladiolus winked and grinned at her and Rox wanted nothing more than to just wipe it off his smug face.

If he could play dirty, then so could she.

She'd been ignoring the guy that had taken the vacant stool next to her and thankfully he'd had the sense to leave her be. She turned to him, catching his eye, and smiled as she jerked her thumb towards Sergio who was shooting daggers at his colleague.

"Runs a tight ship this one."

The guy looked blankly at her for a second, clearly not having expected her to make conversation but then he reciprocated her smile.

"Haha, yeah. Can't blame him though, not when the Prince has decided to show up."

Rox almost rolled her eyes but she caught herself just in time; she would talk about quite literally anything else but the damned Prince and his retinue. No offence to His Highness of course, it was his Shield that was the problem.

"Right...So you waiting on anyone?" she said brightly, trying desperately to at least look friendly. Sergio had accused her many a time of letting her emotions leak into her expressions, despite her best efforts.

' _Seriously Rox, if looks could kill..._ '

' _What? I'm smiling?!_ '

' _Yeah but I can see universes dying in your eyes. You plotting someone's untimely demise in there?_ '

' _Yeah, yours._ '

The guy in front of her seemed fairly convinced, however.

"No, just me tonight, drinking away the woes of the week. Don't tell me you are too? I find that very hard to believe."

Rox laughed politely, sweeping her hair behind an ear.

"I usually prefer it that way to be honest. Work a pain in the ass? Join the club. What woes are we talking about here?"

His day at work couldn't possibly have been worse than hers and once she'd let him tell his story she would regale him with her own, most likely making him run for the hills and efficiently dealing with the risk of having to make conversation with him for the rest of the night. No one wanted to get involved with a girl with a crazy ex.

The guy immediately launched into the reasons why his job was the absolute worst and Rox made sure to gasp and laugh in all the right places, or so at least she hoped so. She was only half paying attention, the other half of her brain willing herself not to even risk a peek to see if Gladiolus had caught sight of their interaction. It wasn't long though before her curiosities were answered.

A shadow loomed ominously above them and they both glanced up to see Gladiolus towering over them, his jaw set and something burning within the amber of his eyes.

"I think you're in my seat," he said calmly, although the words came out in a low growl and even just stood beside them he was incredibly imposing and intimidating. The man looked about to protest but then he thought better of it, necking his drink before throwing a look at Rox and storming off, mumbling something that sounded like 'jerk' as he passed.

Rox stared at Gladiolus in outrage as he shamelessly sat on the barely vacated stool.

"Are you for real?"

Most of the hostility had gone from his eyes now but there was something still bubbling under the surface.

"If you wanted my attention, Rox, all you had to do was ask."

"Who said I wanted your attention? I was having a pleasant chat with that guy which _you_ just ruined."

Gladiolus quirked an eyebrow up at her. "Looked pretty like you were just using him to me. Your pretend flirting needs some refining if it's gonna be convincing."

Rox felt her temper rising as he flashed her a toothy grin.

"Oh? Being the master of seduction, you sure would know. Not that you were flirting with the girl behind the bar yourself, of course. What were you two talking about, the weather?"

Gladiolus' smirk widened. "How her shift was going, actually."

"You're unbelievable," she huffed, shaking her head.

"So I've heard." He gestured to the glass beside her. "Did you take me up on that drink, then?"

"Oh I drank yours a while back. When he can be bothered, Sergio makes insane cocktails. First was so good I had to have it again."

"Didn't have you down as a fancy cocktail drinker."

Rox tilted her head, gazing up at Gladiolus and shrugging. "What can I say? I'm full of surprises." She took a sip from her drink. "No idea what it is but I'd have this 'till I couldn't walk straight."

"Sex on the beach," Sergio called as he walked past and Rox shot him a withering glare.

 _Of course it was._

Something else entirely smouldered in the depths of Gladiolus' eyes.

"I'll bear it in mind," he said with a wink, his voice so low it sounded almost like a purr.

Rox furiously cursed herself and the insufferable man beside her as shivers rippled down her spine, her body betraying her as unforgivably as Sergio just had. She pushed her hair off her face with a deep sigh.

"Apart from coming over to scare away my company and ask me about what I'm drinking, is there anything else you wanted?"

Gladiolus placed his left elbow on the bar and rested his chin in his hand, his gaze relaxing slightly.

"How about just a chat?"

"You sure you're capable of that?" Rox challenged and he chuckled.

"I know I may be a bit of an arrogant ass sometimes but I promise you I'm excellent company."

"I think 'sometimes' is a bit of an understatement."

He narrowed his eyes playfully. "You know, not very many people have the guts to talk to me like you do. Even fewer get away with it."

There were those damn shivers again. Rox swallowed hard, suddenly finding her mouth was extremely dry.

"And am I getting away with it?"

An almost predatory glint appeared in Gladiolus' eyes.

"We'll see."

The music suddenly dimmed and was replaced by Sergio's voice as he held a microphone to his lips.

"I think it's about time we switched on the karaoke, don't you?" A chorus of cheers and groans answered him and he rolled his eyes. "Oh lighten up you miserable lot over there. This is the best damn free entertainment you're gonna get! Warm up your voices and come and embarrass yourself, _ahem_ , I mean wow us with your talents. Maybe some of our regulars will get up here and show us how it's done." He threw a pointed look in Rox's direction and Gladiolus turned back to Rox, his curiosity spiking once again.

"Is he looking at you?"

"He better not be," Rox growled. Now she thought about it, she rather liked the idea of doing a little showing off but the impact would certainly be ruined if Gladiolus already knew she was well versed with singing on _Somnus_ 's pathetic stage. She scrabbled for a change in conversation. "So, you want to chat. Anything in particular you want to know?"

They both winced as a generic pop song started playing quickly followed by a group of drunken voices practically screeching down the microphones.

"Gods, if this is the best free entertainment this place has I'd hate to hear the worst," Gladiolus remarked and he thought for a second before answering Rox's question, needing the time to recover from the assault on his hearing. "Well, if by some miracle you'd let me take you on a date, where would we go?"

Rox couldn't help but laugh.

"In need of some inspiration, are we?"

"Ha, not at all. If I didn't have to stay for Prince Charmless over there I'd take you for the best evening of your life. I was just asking so I'd know which place to choose."

"You're forgetting that I haven't actually agreed to go on a date with you."

Gladiolus leaned in a little closer to her so their arms were almost touching.

"Not yet."

His proximity was as equally infuriating as it was distracting, the two rather going hand in hand and the only way Rox could think to divert herself from it was to actually answer his question.

"Well if you must know, food on a date is a must but it would be nice to be slightly out of the city centre. Nothing better than a walk in the peace of the evening and a good view."

Something in Gladiolus' expression shifted, his gaze intensifying and the grin that had been on his face relaxing as he considered her response. He finally looked about to speak when a strained voice shouted his name over the music.

"Gladio!"

He whipped round to see Ignis marching over to him, his jaw tensed.

"Iggy, what's up?" Gladiolus asked as he approached, glancing over to the table where he'd left Noctis who, rather unsurprisingly, hadn't moved.

Ignis sighed deeply, directing Gladiolus' attention to the bar's stage. "We have a slight situation."

He was referring to the fact that as soon as the last song had finished, Prompto had thrown himself from his seat and practically ran to the karaoke machine where he was currently engrossed in deliberating the selections of songs on offer.

An exasperated noise rumbled in Gladiolus' chest.

It was fine for Prompto to embarrass himself but he would no doubt try and drag Noctis up there with him and proceed to embarrass them both. Noctis would probably protest for a while but if they didn't intervene he would eventually give in since Prompto, in his pretty drunken state, would be openly inconsolable if he didn't. Come the morning, there wouldn't be a social media site in the whole of Eos that wouldn't be plastered with the Prince's 'drunken antics'.

"I'll deal with this," he growled, pushing himself from his seat and storming off towards Prompto. Ignis watched him go, pushing his glasses up his nose before turning to Rox and holding out his hand.

"Ignis Scientia, the Crown Prince's advisor."

Rox took his hand firmly.

"Rox Venustas, someone who quickly realised she should have drank elsewhere tonight."

Ignis smiled and threw a quick glance in Noctis' direction before returning his gaze to her.

"A pleasure. I won't disturb your evening any longer than it takes to say this: whatever you've got in store for Gladio, and I'm sure that you do have something in mind, I just want you to know that you have my and more importantly, the Prince's approval. His ego has got rather unbearable as of late and we are powerless to do anything about it. We shall truly be in your debt, Miss Venustas."

With that he strode from the bar, returning to Noctis' side and Rox stared after him for a few moments in shock and amusement before her eyes snapped to what was unfolding on stage.

"Prompto this is only gonna end badly," Gladiolus warned from the side, glaring at Prompto with his arms folded.

"Come on Gladio, it'll be fun! Me and Noct can…"

"Over my dead body is Noct getting up here."

Prompto pouted at Gladiolus, finally dropping his head as he realised it was futile. He thrust the microphone into Gladiolus' hand as he staggered past.

"Fine," he half spat, half slurred. "You sing it then."

Gladiolus looked about to protest when a song started playing, the lyrics flashing up on the nearby screen as numbers counted down through the intro. Luckily it was one he knew; it had a predictable melody and the lyrics had clearly been written by some hopeless romantic trying desperately to play it cool but Gladiolus didn't mind it too much. As it was, Prompto possibly couldn't have picked a better song given its overall message and the suggestive undertones of the words. He was pretty sure at one point the guy sang: _'I can see a fire for me burning in your eyes, baby we both know you'll be mine by the sunrise_ '. Walking to the centre of the stage, he gestured to the crowd below.

"Anyone want to sing this or shall I?"

He was immediately met with undeniable approval, some responses rather more exuberant than others, although he caught sight of Ignis putting his hand to his head. Clearly he wasn't sure which out of Gladiolus or Prompto on stage was the lesser of the two evils.

Rolling his shoulders back and bringing the microphone to his lips, Gladiolus grinned.

"If you insist."

Rox felt like the stool had given way beneath her as Gladiolus began to sing.

As if he needed anything else to brag about.

He told the story of the song perfectly, clearly loving the stage and the attention but he was also absolutely nailing it. Goosebumps prickled on her skin every time he soared effortlessly up to the high notes or his voice became breathy and husky when he dropped down to the lower ones.

Rox tore her eyes away from the stage to see Sergio staring at her, a huge smirk on his face and she threw the most feral glare she could at him. The moment she looked back to Gladiolus she wished she hadn't. He was singing something about 'being his by the sunrise' and he winked at her as he finished the line.

This was bad.

This was really bad.

He began to show off on the last chorus, adlibbing the melody and climbing to an impressive note before letting the final words come out in no more than a low rumble. The room exploded in applause and screams and a satisfied smile spread across his lips as he crossed his fist over his chest and bowed. Someone shouted ' _More!_ ' and soon it turned into a chant. Gladiolus was only too happy to indulge their request.

"I guess there is one more song I could sing," he said as he pretended to mull over the decision. "Only problem is, it's a duet."

Rox felt her heart kick up a notch in her chest; she knew exactly where this was going.

The room erupted once more but Gladiolus ignored all the offers that were thrown at him; there was only one person he was going to sing with.

"Whadya say, Rox?" he asked into the microphone. "You up for the challenge?"

Before Rox could even react, Sergio thrust a brimming shot glass into her hand.

"Get this down ya and then go and show him what you've got, girl."

She didn't need any more encouragement than that.

Necking the alcohol, she made her way onto the stage and took the second microphone that Gladiolus held out to her.

"You better not have picked something shit," she grumbled as he his confirmed his choice and came to stand beside her.

A deep laugh sounded in Gladiolus' chest. "Have a little more faith in me than that."

Naturally he'd picked a song telling of a romantic entanglement between the two parts with the female resisting to begin with but succumbing to the male singer's charms by the end. It was a painfully predictable choice, clearly Gladiolus was incapable of subtlety or had decided to completely abandon it, but Rox knew it very well, having frequently had full-blown performances of it in her shower. She smirked inwardly as the words appeared on the screen.

It was time to do a little showing off of her own.

Gladiolus kicked things off, singing a few lines before the melody passed to Rox. Out of the corner of her vision she saw his head snap to hers, his mouth hanging slightly open as she began to sing. The notes fell comfortably within her range and she held nothing back, loving every second of the shock that was soon plastered all over Gladiolus' face.

Things quickly descended into a competition as the song gained momentum although she had to admit, their voices blended together beautifully. Gladiolus was amazing at belting the notes in his gravely voice but Rox countered that by soaring over the top with harmonies and she was enjoying herself so much that she didn't mind when Gladiolus came to stand close to her as they sang the last few lines together, staring at each other as they did.

"You really are full of surprises," Gladiolus remarked as the song came to an end and applause and whistles burst over the final few bars. "I had a feeling you were hiding something but that, darlin', was something else."

Rox smugly handed back her microphone. "Guess you better be careful who you challenge next time."

Gladiolus laughed as they both stepped off the stage to let the next group on and he leaned an arm against the wall, slouching slightly so he wasn't towering over her.

"You got me there. I gotta say Rox, we sounded great together. We seriously have to do that again sometime."

Rox tried desperately to keep her nerve; she could feel countless pairs of eyes on her, scrutinising her and Gladiolus' every move.

"Still haven't agreed to meet with you again, let alone sing with you."

He leaned in ever closer so Rox could smell the heady notes of his aftershave and see all the different hues that marbled together in his amber eyes.

"Given how great we were, I'd say it would be a crime if we didn't entertain drunken, adoring crowds with our incredible talents again." Sighing deeply, Gladiolus swept Rox's hair behind an ear, his fingers lingering and gently stroking her cheek. "Damn Rox, there's just something about you…"

Rox was caught in the middle of a raging storm of inner torment. She was undeniably drunk now, the shot drank for 'Dutch courage' having tipped her well and truly over the edge and it was making sensible thinking entirely impossible. Her knees had felt physically weak as he had murmured his last words in her ear and they were so close it would take barely any movement at all for their lips to meet in what she was sure would be a searing and incapacitating kiss.

Gladiolus could clearly see her resolve crumbling and his mouth pulled into a satisfied smile.

"You should have known resistance would be futile, Rox."

The haze that Rox had been drifting away into immediately cleared and she came crashing back down to earth. For a second she'd let herself fall prey to his seduction but thankfully his ego had reminded her just in time the whole reason she'd been playing along with this in the first place.

She wasn't about to throw it all away now.

Lowering her gaze with a coy laugh, Rox looked back up at him, allowing her eyes to grow wider as they flowed over his face. She parted her lips, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair, making sure her breathing was just a little quicker than normal.

"It must be great to be able to get pretty much whatever you want with a few smiles and a bit of charm," she purred, stretching up so her mouth was so close to his that she could feel his warm breath on her lips.

The amber of Gladiolus' eyes was well and truly on fire now and he let his hand slide down to the small of her back, pushing her body against his.

"It's both a blessing and a curse, darlin'."

He leant in for a kiss and Rox let her lips barely brush his before she jerked her head back and stared at him with just the faintest hint of a smile.

"Such a shame then, isn't it, that it doesn't get you _everything_ you want."

With that she pushed herself out of their embrace and turned around, striding purposefully back to the bar without so much of a second glance. If she had looked behind her she would have seen Gladiolus frozen in place and looking entirely dumbfounded before the uncontrollable laughter from the Prince and the one they had called Prompto caused him to thaw and throw a lethally dark glare in their direction, the hostility of which was also directed at the Prince's advisor whose fierce amusement was leaking through his normally impeccable composure.

As it was she kept walking, feeling a buoyancy in her steps and she simply turned to look at Sergio and held out her hand, not even breaking her stride as he grinned at her and slid her phone across the bar which she caught and pocketed before emerging victorious into the cool night-time air.

Getting up to her flat was a slight disaster, turned out she was a lot drunker than she thought, but she had achieved what she set out to do and she couldn't have been happier. Struggling out of her clothes and abandoning them in a heap on the floor, she flopped down onto her bed, gasping in contentment as her head hit the pillow. Her bliss didn't last long however for her head immediately began to throb, the world spinning sickeningly around her. In a desperate attempt to try and take her mind of her self-induced torture, she indulged herself by imagining what had possibly been going through Gladiolus' mind as he had been powerless to do anything but watch her saunter smugly away.

She ignored the first buzz of her phone but she groaned as it went off another time shortly afterwards and she stuck her hand out, groping around on her bedside table for it.

Blinking blearily at the bright screen, Rox giggled as she read Sergio's message.

' _Fuck me Rox that was gloriously brutal. Perhaps you do function better on cocktails. Oh and by the way, don't hate me. Did it for your own good._ '

The last part of his text confused Rox until she saw the sender of her other text who was stored under the name of ' _Hot Guy from the Bar_ '.

"Sergio you fucking traitor," she grumbled and as she opened the message her heart kick started once again, pounding in her chest until she began to feel breathless.

' _You certainly know how to play with fire, Rox. If your moves are allowed to be that dirty then so are mine. Already looking forward to our date, G x_ '

Slamming her phone back down, Rox cursed Gladiolus with every foul word she knew.

She may have won the battle tonight but it seemed she had rather unintentionally also started a war.


	5. Chapter 5

The next week was quiet which made Rox both immensely grateful and agonisingly anxious. She hadn't expected to hear anything for the first few days, after all Gladiolus didn't seem like the irritatingly keen type, but as the week went on she began to jump out of her skin every time her phone buzzed, her heart pounding wildly until she read the notification and bitter disappointment crashed into her instead.

Why did she even care if he texted her? She'd got what she'd wanted, namely punching a rather sizable hole in his swollen ego and that was that. She hadn't actually wanted anything more to do with him after that, had she?

And then it hit her.

She certainly had felt like the victor from the other night but maybe his charms had got to her all the same, hence why he had become an embarrassingly frequent and persistent intruder in her thoughts. The message he had sent had clearly implied that he was far from done with her but Rox couldn't shake the feeling that he'd just decided it was a lost cause. She couldn't exactly blame him, she had humiliated him in front of the Crown Prince, his friends and a bar full of intently spectating citizens.

If that was the case and he had found someone else, something Rox was sure wouldn't be a problem, she should be relieved.

 _Should_.

To make matters worse, her entanglement with Gladiolus hadn't gone unnoticed by the public eye and it wasn't until she woke up the next day with a banging headache and her mouth drier than the deserts of Leide did it dawn on her that climbing on stage to sing a duet with the Prince's Shield to then be pulled into his arms and whisper in his ears was undoubtedly going to make its way into the chaotic torrents of Insomnia's gossip.

Even though she braced herself, work on Monday was still absolutely unbearable.

Walking into the offices had caused a flurry of activity and heated shushing and Rox made a point of ignoring everyone, marching straight over to her desk and delving into her email inbox, relishing in the number of unread messages that normally would make her groan and slump in her seat.

She'd only managed to open three before the questioning started.

"So…umm…Rox, you get up to anything over the weekend?"

Rox didn't even need to look up to know who would be asking. Sure enough as she glanced upwards she caught sight of a woman staring pointedly at her from over the top of her computer screen, namely Gerrae, the office 'busybody' who was always the first to know the latest gossip, and the first to dish it out. With deep sigh, Rox went back her inbox.

"Nope, not really," she answered, trying to sound like she was far too engrossed in her work to be participating in idle chitchat, something she didn't care much for anyway.

"That's strange," Gerrae probed and an expectant silence fell on the office, ears eagerly straining from the desks scattered all around the room. "I've seen some pictures that would suggest otherwise."

Rox felt her heart drop into her stomach.

How naïve had she been to think that every interaction she'd had with Gladiolus wouldn't have been hastily captured on someone's phone to be immediately broadcast onto the internet? She inwardly prayed that if the duet she'd sang with him had been recorded, and realistically speaking it almost definitely had, her co-workers hadn't found it yet.

Gerrae ploughed on, clearly expecting Rox to take a while to rise to the bait.

"Didn't know you were so friendly with the Royal Shield. Since when did you know Gladiolus Amicitia?"

"And why didn't you tell us about it?!" another voice demanded from a nearby desk and Rox finally gave in.

"I've barely spoken to the man and I'm certainly not friendly with him," she retorted hotly and Gerrae just scoffed.

"Right, so you just happened to be on stage when he was and accidentally get roped into singing karaoke with him?

Rox clenched her jaw, fighting to keep her patience.

"Pretty much. Whatever you're thinking I can assure you, there's nothing going on between us."

"Forgive us if we don't believe you, Rox," Gerrae sneered as she pushed herself upright and slowly wandered back to her desk.

Rox just closed her eyes, taking a few slow breaths to try and calm her temper when she was interrupted by the sound of a new email popping into her inbox. It was from Gerrae, simply reading: ' _You still sure there's nothing going on?_ '.

Hovering her mouse hesitantly over the attachment, Rox grimaced as she clicked to open it and an image flashed up on screen.

Both her heart and her stomach proceeded to drop through her seat, heat rushing over her skin as she stared at the picture of Gladiolus leaning suggestively over her, his eyes crinkled as he grinned wolfishly down at her. She on the other hand looked as helpless as she felt right now.

No she wasn't sure. And she damn well hated it.

* * *

One thing that was for certain was that she wasn't going to contact him first. It would undermine everything she had done the other night at the bar and so, as much as it pained her which was infuriating in itself, she would just have to wait.

Rox braced herself as she sat in her usual spot in _Somnus_ the following Friday, wholeheartedly expecting him to turn up for round two. The night proceeded however like any of the previous ones had, except for the fact that every time the door opened Rox would look to Sergio in mild panic before he would shake his head and she would slump against the bar in a painfully conflicted mixture of relief and disappointment. Eventually leaving when Sergio kicked her out for closing, Rox was unable to decide whether Gladiolus' silence really was a result of him nursing his wounded pride or if he was purposely leaving her in this torturous limbo as payback for the way she had teased him.

She may not have heard from him Friday but Saturday was a whole other story.

Her weekend begun like they always did, with Rox sleeping in for a long as she could get away with before she would begrudgingly rise to carry out the errands that had piled up through the week, hopefully leaving her some time to do things she actually wanted to do before Monday mercilessly appeared once more. Thankfully her 'to do' list was fairly short and by the middle of the afternoon she'd ticked off everything bar the weekly agony of phoning her mother at which point she decided to give herself something to look forward to and save it for Sunday.

One of the things she loved to do was head for her favourite coffee shop and curl up in one of their plush window seats with a good book and a steaming mug of Ebony, undeniably the best coffee in existence. As she went to grab her bag and a book though, she remembered she had finished her current one the other night and hadn't had chance to get a new one yet. She'd considered time and time again just to invest in one of those e-readers but there was something deeply comforting about physically having a book in your hands and besides, borrowing books from the library had the wonderful quality of being free.

Rox had mulled around the library for a little while, perusing the books lining the shelves and deliberating the same dilemma she always encountered. She was a huge fan of hefty fantasy novels that would whisk her away from her mundane existence and immerse her in far-flung, incredible worlds but at the same time, she had a rather guilty pleasure for stories telling of heart-breaking and beautiful romances. With a sigh she placed the romance novel she'd picked out back in its place; her emotions were fried enough as it was without her getting inevitably consumed by the romantic tragedies of a fictional character.

As she made her way to the check-out desk, however, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She thought about leaving it until she was on her way home but curiosity soon won out and she stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the notification flash up on screen, gripping her phone so tightly that it almost jumped straight out of her hand.

Gladiolus had finally texted her, although his name in her phone was still saved under ' _Hot Guy from the Bar_ '. Rox had refused to change it; the act of putting ' _Gladiolus_ ' or even worse ' _Gladio_ ' meant that the number saved was something more than just a joke from a night of drinking which, as it stood, it still technically was.

Steeling herself, Rox unlocked her screen and opened the message, frowning as she saw what looked like some sort of code and nothing else. She stared at it in confusion for a few seconds longer until she glanced to the book in her hand and suddenly realised the text before her contained a code the library used to label books and store them on the appropriate shelves. Her heart was suddenly thumping in her chest as she glanced around her.

Surely Gladiolus wouldn't be spending his Saturday in a library? In fact, she found it very hard to imagine him spending time in a library at all.

To make matters worse, the code he had sent her was almost identical to the one on the book she had in her hand and taking a few breaths to try and calm the frenzy that had erupted under her skin, Rox marched back to the aisle where she had picked her book from, expecting to see Gladiolus leant against the shelves with that insufferable grin on his face, looking extremely pleased with himself.

As it was, the aisle was entirely deserted.

Exhaling sharply, Rox checked her phone again and as she confirmed she was in the right place, the heavy feeling that she was being toyed with settled over her. Really she should have just turned on her heels and left, ruining whatever game Gladiolus seemed to think he could play with her.

Once again, curiosity got the better of her.

She scanned the shelves, trying to find the book Gladiolus' text pointed to and she huffed indignantly as she finally found it, way up high on the top shelf. He would have had no issues reaching it but she was going to have to struggle. Glancing behind her to make sure he wasn't sat eagerly spectating, Rox stretched up onto her tiptoes and groped around blindly, her fingers gradually inching the book closer and closer to the edge until she could grab it and bring it down.

Given its location, it was hardly surprising that it was another thick, fantasy novel but her attention was immediately drawn to the paper that was sticking out of the top. Flipping open the front cover, Rox caught the note as it started to slip out of place and her eyes rapidly flowed over the scrawled message that was written in what she presumed was Gladiolus' untidy handwriting.

' _Pretty sure this book was written about you. Don't bother reading the one in your hand, it's dreadful._

 _P.S. Cute glasses._ '

Rox clenched her jaw as she pushed her glasses back up her nose. She usually wore her contacts but given that she hadn't expected to see anyone she knew, especially _him_ , she had just thrown on her glasses for ease.

Trying to ignore the unhealthy speed at which her heart was now fluttering in her chest, Rox placed both books down and turned to her phone, typing her reply.

' _Didn't realise you were an expert in the world of fiction. Or a stalker._ '

Her finger hovered over the 'send' option on her screen for a few agonising seconds before she fiercely berated herself and sent the message, only then to feel like a complete idiot for replying at all.

And so quickly at that.

Defiantly thrusting Gladiolus' book back in his place, Rox grabbed her original choice before marching purposefully over to the check-out desks. She'd taken his note purely so any record of the interaction was destroyed but she'd be damned if she was going to take his advice, especially given the ridiculous and convoluted way he'd gone about it. With one last glance to make sure he wasn't still lurking around somewhere, Rox promptly left.

It wasn't until she was settled in her favourite spot in the café, gently blowing on a steaming mug of Ebony and desperately trying to persevere with the book in her hand did her phone buzz again. She placed the book down and flipped her phone over, gazing at the message rather more nonchalantly than she felt.

' _I was already at the library so if anyone's stalking, it's you. Regretting picking your disaster of a book yet?_ '

Of course he'd have known that she would ignore his suggestion just to spite him. The joke was on her though; disaster was an understatement.

The plot was hopelessly flawed and painfully cliché with such an intolerable 'mary-sue' of a protagonist that Rox soon gave up altogether on it. Finishing her coffee, she walked to the library again, praying Gladiolus was long gone as she hastily returned the book and headed back to the same aisle as before to pick another. After a few minutes of deliberation, she finally acquiesced, stretching back up to grab Gladiolus' suggestion before checking it out and leaving as quickly as she could.

As much as she loathed to admit it, he really did know what he was talking about, given the fact that even at one in the morning she was still reading, entirely engrossed in the words before her. She wasn't about to tell him that though, although she made a mental note to scold him for comparing her to the female lead, a hot-headed, irritable woman whose tongue was a sharp as the blade she wielded. Naturally there was a love interest but a romance seemed unlikely as it stood, although no doubt there would be some disaster that would befall them both and cause them to reveal their true feelings; that was how these things worked.

On Sunday she saw him.

She'd ran to the supermarket to pick up the few bits she'd inevitably forgotten the day before only for her ears to be confronted by a deep and familiar voice a little way ahead of her.

"You know, Iris, just because I said I'd get you an ice cream doesn't mean I can't change my mind."

A high-pitched female voice instantly replied, her words elongated and almost whiny.

"Oh come _on_ , Gladdy…try it on, for me?"

Creeping as close as she dared, Rox peered round the end of the aisle and had to throw her hand over her mouth to muffle the laugh that burst from her.

Gladiolus was stood next to a tiny girl who, judging by the similarity of their features, had to be his sister and she excitedly thrust something into Gladiolus' hand. The item in question had come from a nearby display that was straining with various merchandise for the upcoming 'Moogle Chocobo Carnival' and Gladiolus glared down at Iris as he reluctantly placed a violently pink moogle hat onto his head.

"Happy?" he growled and Iris just burst into uncontrollable giggles, too taken by her amusement to protest when Gladiolus wrenched the hat from his head and thrust it back into her hands.

Before Rox could even think about what she was doing, she had grabbed her phone and sent him the words:

' _Shame the Crownsguard don't wear pink. It suits you._ '

Much to her delight, he grabbed his phone as soon as it received the message and his heavy-set eyebrows twitched as he read the text before a grin spread across his face and he began glancing around him, craning his neck to see if he could catch a glimpse of her.

Rox immediately dived back backwards, hiding behind the safety of the shelves of cereal and she resumed her shopping trip, smiling smugly as her phone vibrated a few minutes later. Annoyingly, Gladiolus' reply made a rush of heat erupt under her skin, something he was achieving far too often.

' _Following me again, Rox? Anyone would think you're dying to see me._ '

Rox immediately clicked to reply, abandoning her usual restraint of waiting to not appear keen; she was having far too much fun to care.

' _Damn, you got me. Totally not like I come here on a daily basis to buy stuff to sustain my existence._ '

She continued to fly around the store, hoping desperately that she didn't bump into Gladiolus and she received another message just as she was paying, almost dropping her purse as she looked at her phone.

' _Thought so. Stop flirting with the cashier, you'll just make him jealous._ '

Her eyes flew up to see him a queueing a few tills down and as soon he caught her looking he grinned and threw a wink at her. The mere action caused her breath to hitch in her throat and she swallowed hard, returning her attention to the cashier who was looking at her expectantly.

"Umm, miss? Did you want your receipt or not?"

Rox wondered how many times he'd asked her that question although, judging by the confused look on his face, it had probably been quite a few. She certainly hadn't been flirting with him before but, knowing Gladiolus' eyes were undoubtedly fixed on her, she smiled sweetly at the cashier and began to laugh lightly.

"I'm sorry, I was miles away there. No to the receipt, you keep it."

For a wild moment she thought about following it up with ' _it can be something to remember me by_ ' but she saw sense at the last second. Was she really going to stoop to such levels just to make Gladiolus jealous?

Instead she grabbed her shopping, thanking the cashier with the brightest smile she could muster before striding towards the door without so much of a backward glance. Gladiolus had been quite far back in the queue; unless he abandoned his little sister and his place she was in no danger of him confronting her as she tried to leave. Sure enough she made it out onto the street without any trouble although he texted her almost as soon as she had left.

' _You tease. Don't think I've forgotten about our date. I could tell you the details but it's far more fun if it's a surprise. Try not to miss me too much til then._ '

Rox just scoffed as she stared down at the words.

If what was a surprise? The whole thing, including the essentials like the date and time? That was just ridiculous.

* * *

As it was, that was exactly what Gladiolus was intending.

"You being serious? You're just gonna waltz in there and hope that she's sat where she was the other week and expect her to go with you?" Prompto asked the following Friday as the four men sat in Noctis' apartment, eating pizza in between heated rounds of King's Knight. "I know you've got crazy powers of persuasion and all but man, that's asking a lot dude."

"Of course he's being serious," Noctis said, his mouth full of pizza which he hastily swallowed before reaching for another slice. "He's actually wearing more than a tank top and slacks for once." He turned to look at Gladiolus. "Didn't even know you owned a shirt."

Gladiolus narrowed his eyes for a second before he smirked and pinched the piece of pizza out of Noctis' hand just as he went to take a bite. Chuckling at the indignant glare Noctis immediately threw at him, he stuffed the slice into his mouth whole.

"You may want to refrain from spoiling your appetite if you wish to take her for a meal," Ignis warned, fearing more for their own food than for Gladiolus' stomach. He knew Gladiolus could probably eat both pizzas sat before them and still complain that he was hungry.

"I can scrub up nice when I want to," Gladiolus finally said with a shrug, pulling on the rolled sleeves of his black shirt so his lower arms were exposed. "And _yes_ , Prompto I'm almost definite she'll be sat there and if she isn't, I'm pretty sure she lives nearby. I'll just get that guy behind the bar to get her to come over."

"And what if she doesn't want to go on a date with you?" Noctis challenged. "Anyway, don't girls need to 'get ready' for dates or whatever?"

A toothy grin spread across Gladiolus' lips. "Oh she will, don't worry about that. And that's exactly the point, I don't want her to be 'ready' for a date. Anyway, she's a lucky girl. Payback isn't usually so enjoyable." He clapped his large hands together, heading for the door. "Right, wish me luck fellas. Not that I'll need it."

Prompto stared wearily at the door as Gladiolus closed it behind him.

"She didn't even put a scratch on his ego, did she? I didn't think he could get any worse but he's managed it."

Ignis sighed deeply, looking up from the pile of notes he'd been reading through from a meeting earlier in the day.

"It may appear not although I suspect some damage has been done, hence why it seems the lady's actions have only exacerbated his arrogance. He's simply compensating. The problem is too great to be fixed in one evening but we can hope that some cracks have begun to form at least."

Noctis slumped back in his seat as he stared at the now empty pizza boxes, suddenly feeling extremely full.

"He was definitely pissed off, the bruises I got from the training session with him the next day were enough proof of that. Good job we're not training tomorrow, not sure I can face another beating like that any time soon."

Prompto flung himself onto the sofa, sidling up to Noctis and playfully elbowing in his side.

"Why don't I beat you at King's Knight instead, then? With Gladio gone, one of us might actually have a chance of winning!"

His food-induced sleepiness suddenly forgotten, Noctis grinned and grabbed his phone.

"Oh, you're on!"

* * *

Gladiolus strolled through the brightly lit streets of Insomnia, relishing the slight coolness of the air as it slipped over his skin.

He'd immensely enjoyed his flirtatious interactions with Rox the previous weekend, especially taking delight in the way her cheeks had flushed with red when she had read his messages, despite clearly trying to appear indifferent. Little gestures had also betrayed her, like the way she had pushed her glasses up her nose and swept her hair behind an ear, even when both were already in place. She could try and claim he didn't affect her all she liked but they both knew it was a complete and utter lie.

He'd not contacted her since that day but in his defence, his week had been manic with work. He'd been forced to pick up more patrols as the new rounds of Crownsguard training had begun but his silence might have worked in his favour. 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder' or whatever it was that people said.

As Gladiolus began to approach _Somnus_ , however, he heard the distinctive noises of a disturbance coming from one of the alleyways further down to his right. Quickening his pace, he strained his ears and he stopped dead in his tracks, his hands curling into fists as he heard a male voice shouting viciously.

"The Royal _fucking_ Shield, Rox?! The fuck are you playing at?"

 _Rox_.

"I'm not playing at anything!" she screamed back, her breathing heavy as it sounded like she was struggling against some form of restraint. "Get _off_ me!"

Gladiolus' legs had been moving again the moment he had heard her name but he broke into a sprint, a fire erupting in his veins as he heard the sound of a fist making contact with something and then a cry of pain from Rox.

Whoever this guy was, he was quickly about to learn that although Gladiolus was sworn to protect all of Insomnia's citizens from violence, he was permitted to inflict some of his own if the situation called for it.

And it certainly did.


	6. Chapter 6

Rox knew she should have learnt by now that whenever she wanted a quiet evening, fate would laugh cruelly at her and make it quite the opposite. She was used to drama, people told her on a regular basis that she seemed to attract it but even she couldn't have scripted what happened to her that evening.

She'd been returning home from a bar close to work after having a drink with the few colleagues she didn't want to impale with the office stationary and was only a few blocks away when she heard a familiar and very unwelcome voice call out her name.

"Oi, Rox!"

Her step faltered ever so slightly but she managed to keep walking, taking a deep breath as she pretended not to have heard him.

He wasn't so easily fooled.

"Don't ignore me Rox, you know I fucking hate that."

She stopped then, wincing before allowing a cold, indifferent mask to pass over her face and she turned around to face him.

"What do you want, Vanus?"

Now that she was out of the relationship, Rox didn't understand what she ever saw in him. He was brash and arrogant, not that he had much to brag about with his average at best features and physique. His personality couldn't even make up for his mediocre looks; he was painfully immature with a frightful temper and dangerously poor control of it. It seemed he also had some serious trust issues, having flown into a rage every time she had even so much as glanced in another guy's direction. Rox had fallen into the trap of believing she had to put up with it all because she cared for him and that was just what people did in relationships. It wasn't until he slept with some other woman that Rox finally snapped out of her madness and realised just how much of an idiot she was being. If she ever met the woman who made her wake up and smell the coffee, she would whole-heartedly thank her for saving her from the utterly miserable existence she had stupidly endured for far too long.

"I wanna talk," Vanus growled, taking a step closer to Rox who swallowed hard.

"Yeah well too bad, I've got somewhere to be."

She went to carry on walking but he blocked her way, staring down at her threateningly.

"Isn't that convenient. Is it that grotty bar of yours that you seem to love so much? It must be even better now that you get such _celebrities_ drinking there."

Although Rox was trying desperately to keep her composure, she felt it falter at his words and the alcohol she could smell on his breath. She'd witnessed the consequences of his drinking more times than she could bear to count and her heart began to thump uneasily. It had seemed obvious that since the pictures of her and Gladiolus had made it to the internet, her ex undoubtedly would have seen them but given that it had been two weeks since that night, she had figured he had decided not to confront her about it.

The reality glaring down at her was quite different.

"It's none of your business," she hissed, hating the way her voice wobbled slightly. "Now get out of my way."

A large hand grabbed her arm, fingers clamping down just hard enough to hurt.

"I don't think so."

Rox struggled against his grip feeling panic tightening in her chest.

"What are you gonna do, Vanus? Restrain me in the middle of the fucking street?"

A sinister smile spread across his thin lips.

"You always were the smart one, Roxy. Let's go somewhere a little more private then."

Before Rox could protest, he dragged her to a nearby alleyway, pushing her up against the cold, grimy wall that was only barely lit by the nearby streetlamp.

"Now," he began, prowling towards her and then taking a strand of her hair, the feeling of his clammy fingers brushing against her cheek making her grimace. "You want to tell me why you've been ignoring me, hmm? Like I said, you know I hate being ignored."

Rox flattened herself against the wall in an attempt to put as much distance between them as she could. "Because we're _over_ , Vanus. I meant it when I said I didn't want anything more to do with you."

He continued as if he hadn't heard a word of what she'd said.

"I know I screwed up but I've told you I'm sorry. I want to make it up to you but you won't even give me a fucking chance. That's not exactly fair, is it?"

Rox stared at him in outrage, feeling icy sweat beading on her forehead.

"Have you not got it through that thick skull of yours that perhaps I don't want you to make it up to me? Maybe I am happy forgetting I was ever stupid enough to give you the time of day."

His grip tightened even further as he leant in sickeningly close to her face, his lips trying to find hers.

"Come on Roxy baby, stop lying to yourself...we both know you've missed me..."

"You pig...go to hell!" Rox cried, wrestling with all her strength against his advances.

Something finally seemed to snap in Vanus.

"Don't think I don't know why you won't have me back you little whore," he snarled, slamming Rox against the wall and watching as her eyes widened, her chest heaving. "You've been trying to make me jealous, haven't you?"

"You're insane," Rox gasped, suddenly unable to meet his eyes, knowing his temper was dangerously close to snapping. "I'm not seeing anyone."

"Don't lie to me!" he roared and Rox flinched, her heart thundering in her ears.

"Whatever you think you've seen, you're wrong." All the emotion had left her voice; she knew she'd pushed him too far.

His voice had dropped down to no more than a whisper, his foul breath hot in her ear.

"You know what I've seen? You, prancing around with some other guy. But not just any guy no...who've you been with, Rox?"

"No one... _please_ Vanus," she begged.

"You're lying again."

"I'm not seeing anyone!"

"Let me remind you, since you seem to have forgotten." He pulled out his phone, bringing up the picture Rox's co-worker had been teasing her about the week before and he shoved his phone in her face. "Who's this, hmm? The Royal _fucking_ Shield, Rox?! The fuck are you playing at?"

"I'm not playing at anything! Get _off_ me!" Rox protested but she knew it was too late and she closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pain that exploded against her face a second later. She cried out, willing herself to stay on her feet as her cheek grew hot and began to sting.

Suddenly she heard the sound of another punch connecting but this time, she did not feel it.

Reluctantly she opened for eyes a fraction only for them to fly open as she saw what was unfolding before her.

Vanus was on the floor, growling in pain as he tried to prop himself up onto his elbows while another much larger man towered over him, his jaw set and amber eyes ablaze. It took Rox a few seconds to work out who he was but she sagged against the wall in almost giddy relief as he turned to look at her, his expression softening for a split second before Vanus began to retaliate.

"You fucking bastard, what was that for?" he gasped, the words choking in his throat as he lifted his head up enough to see just who had thrown the punch. He swore fiercely under his breath and immediately tried to make a run for it only to find himself hitting the ground a second time. His face had barely made contact with the tarmac before Gladiolus grabbed the clothes by his neck, wrenching him upwards.

"On your feet." It was an order, not a request.

With escape impossible, Vanus began to laugh mockingly, the blood that was pouring from his broken nose dripping into his mouth and staining his teeth red.

"Well look who it is. Rox, your knight in shining armour is here to..."

He didn't get to finish as Gladiolus' eyes narrowed and he threw Vanus against the wall, forcing the air from his lungs and suspending him effortlessly so his feet couldn't touch the ground.

"Now you listen and you listen closely," he began, his deep voice rumbling threateningly in his chest. "You stay the hell away from Rox."

Vanus' nerve was dwindling but despite being clearly outmatched, he refused to give in.

"Or what, tough guy? Think you might lose your job if you do what I know you want to."

Rox couldn't help but keep flicking her eyes between the two men. They were complete polar opposites, Gladiolus all muscle and dark, wild hair while Vanus looked like no more than a child as he writhed in Gladiolus' frighteningly strong grip, his sinewy limbs straining as sweat beaded on his shaved head and rolled down his face.

Gone was the flirtatious guy she had met the other week, oozing with charm and a cheeky twinkle in his eye. Before her was an enraged behemoth of a man who looked like he could snap Vanus' neck with barely a twitch of his wrist. And judging by the look on his face, he was certainly considering it.

"Don't push me," Gladiolus snarled, tightening his grip just enough that the pathetic man below him began to squirm. "You're lucky you're gonna be able to walk away from this. Now I'll tell you once more in case I wasn't clear. You bother Rox again, you even so much as _think_ about her and I'll break more than just your nose. Got it?"

It seemed Vanus' courage had finally failed him.

"Fine! I'll leave her alone. No need to show off the fact that you're basically paid to work out all day. Now are you gonna put me down, or what?"

A grin pulled at the edges of Gladiolus' lips.

"If I were you, I'd get running before I change my mind."

Without warning he threw Vanus to the side, launching him so he felt heavily to the ground in an undignified heap and grunted as his battered face smacked into something solid once more. He gingerly picked himself up, wiping away the thick blood that had begun congealing under his nose.

"You know what, you're welcome to her, Amicitia. The stuck-up, prissy bitch ain't worth the trouble."

Gladiolus scoffed inwardly; he could tell already that that was far from the truth. He didn't say a word though, watching as Vanus finally got to his feet and threw one last defiant glare to both himself and Rox before he gathered the remains of his tattered pride and stormed off into the night.

Feeling his fury finally begin to calm, Gladiolus exhaled deeply, rolling his shoulders back and letting the tense muscles relax. He looked to Rox who was still pressed up against the wall, all the colour drained from her face apart from the large, angry welt on her cheek that was beginning to swell.

"Rox?" He tentatively approached her, desperately trying not to look intimidating despite probably being covered in someone else's blood. "You ok?"

An eternity seemed to pass before Rox thawed, the breath that had been screaming in her lungs for escape finally meeting the evening air as her eyes moved from the spot where Vanus had fallen to look at Gladiolus. She swallowed hard and nodded.

"Yeah," she said shakily. "Thanks to you."

Gladiolus couldn't help the anger that welled up inside of him again as he stared at Rox. The confident, gloriously headstrong woman he had met in the bar had been reduced to a shell of herself, forced to cower up against a wall as some scumbag had taken his drunken rage out on her. He'd wanted to summon his greatsword and _really_ scare the bastard but he couldn't risk losing his reputation, or job, over some little shit. The Amicitias may have served the Kings of Lucis for as long as time could remember but it didn't mean his family name was immune from the consequences of a moment of recklessness.

He ran a hand through his unruly hair; she didn't look ok. In fact, it looked like she was going into shock. Taking a step closer, he went to take her arm.

"You're gonna have to do better than that if you want to convince me Rox…"

He broke off, his stomach clenching as she flinched and shrank away from his touch. Guilt immediately flooded him and he backed away again.

"Shit Rox…I…I'm sorry. I'm not gonna hurt you…"

It was her turn to look guilty. "No, I'm sorry. You shouldn't have seen that."

"Are you kidding? Rox, look what he's done to you." He gestured to the angry swelling on her face. "Something tells me that ain't the first time he's left a mark like that."

Rox just shrugged, the life still absent from her eyes and from her voice.

"It was my fault, I pissed him off."

Gladiolus couldn't stop himself then. He gently took both of her arms, wanting nothing more than to just bury her in them.

"Rox don't you dare blame yourself for this. Your boyfriend…"

"My ex." She spat the two words with as much venom as she could muster and Gladiolus sighed in fervent relief at the correction.

"My bad. Whoever he is though, he's never gonna hurt you again. Not on my watch."

He let go of her as Rox folded her arms against her chest and nodded solemnly.

"Thanks." She eyed him curiously, desperate to change the subject. "So why are you here? Not that I'm complaining but I doubt _this_ is what you had planned for your evening."

A light laugh rumbled in Gladiolus' chest.

"I usually only beat guy's asses during the day but I made the exception since it was you."

Despite the situation, Rox rolled her eyes, a smile pulling at her lips.

"I wondered how long it would be until your 'charm' returned. Insufferable ego can't be far behind then."

A huge grin spread across Gladiolus' lips.

"Complete resent, now that's more like the Rox I know."

"Answer my question, Gladio," Rox demanded, having to forcibly fight against her smile, something which, judging by the glint in Gladiolus' eye, hadn't gone unnoticed.

"If you must know, I was on my way to see you."

Rox was about to scoff again when she finally noticed the formality of his clothes.

"Wait…tonight was gonna be our date, wasn't it?"

"Yup, that was the plan but I understand if you want the night to yourself now. For my own piece of mind though, at least let me walk you home."

A few seconds passed before Rox responded, the moment suddenly intensifying as it seemed she was weighing something up in her mind.

"Maybe…maybe I don't wanna go home just yet."

A warm, genuine smile graced Gladiolus' mouth then but it faded instantly as he heard laughter burst through the quiet of the evening. He whipped his head round, watching as a group of people passed by the alleyway they were stood in and it suddenly struck him that if anyone caught sight of them, his innocent and noble intentions could be very easily twisted and misconstrued. Not to mention the fact that this 'ex' may have friends that would come for their revenge. He was certain he could probably take them all blindfolded and with one arm tied behind his back but he didn't fancy putting that theory to the test. Not tonight, anyway.

He returned his gaze to Rox once more.

"I guess I'll stick around for a bit longer then. Now, as much as I am a man of the outdoors, I think it's probably best if we make tracks from here. You mind if we swing by my place in the Citadel? I need to change and I think we'd better get some ice on your cheek. Gotta be hurting by now."

His request sent two thrills shooting down Rox's spine, one considerably larger than the other. The invitation to his place would have been enough to make her a little nervous on its own, given that they still barely knew each other. But the Citadel? The glorious, magnificent building that towered proudly over all of Insomnia and was home to the King himself? Gladiolus made it sound like they were just going to waltz through the doors, waving to His Majesty as they passed by before delving into what she could only imagine were opulent, gold-crusted passageways in search of Gladiolus' private quarters.

Gladiolus' deep voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"You're kinda scary when you don't blink. Was it something I said?"

"The Citadel?" Rox asked slowly and Gladiolus chuckled.

"It's closer than my dad's house and I don't really want you meeting him for the first time with the both of us looking like this. We could try and sneak in but Iris would blow our cover straight away."

Rox thought to the excitable girl she had seen with Gladiolus in the supermarket; he had a point.

"Won't the King mind?"

"Rox, it is my duty to protect the civilians of Insomnia. I doubt he'll mind if I bring you back to see to your injuries."

"In your bedroom, though?" Rox challenged and Gladiolus raised a dark eyebrow, his voice dropping down to a husky whisper.

"Now darlin', I never said we were going there…"

Heat exploded over Rox's skin as her mind scrambled for a way to redeem herself and wipe the infuriating smirk that was now plastered over Gladiolus' face. Much to her relief, a car pulled up at the entrance of the alleyway and a familiar face leaned his head out of the open window.

"Isn't that your friend?" she asked as she craned her head for a better look. "Ignis, was it?"

Gladiolus frowned for a second before he twisted round and caught sight of the car.

"Iggy!" he exclaimed as he strode towards him, arms outstretched. "Perfect timing, as always. What you doing here?"

Ignis was tapping his finger impatiently on the steering wheel, his keen eyes scrutinising the dark streets around them.

"I came to see if the rumours I overheard while I was purchasing some snacks for Noct and Prompto were true. Judging by the state of you, you both best get in. I don't think it wise to linger here."

They didn't argue with that and Gladiolus opened the passenger door for Rox, insisting she take the front seat since he needed the room in the back. Ignis greeted her with a formal 'Miss Venustas' which she quickly corrected to Rox and as soon as they were moving through Insomnia's brightly lit streets, Gladiolus leant forward and began questioning him.

"What were these rumours, then?"

Ignis' eyes moved from the road for a split second to flash him a look in the rear-view mirror and he sighed deeply.

"That a certain Prince's Shield had started a fight with a civilian although according to the rather bloodied delinquent who was recounting it, _he_ was the one who ended it. However, something tells me that's not your blood on your shirt."

Gladiolus huffed and reclined in his seat, crossing his sculpted arms over his chest.

"You're damn right it ain't. The little shit ran off with his tail between his legs, you could barely call it a fight."

"That doesn't surprise me. Tell me, why did you break his nose? He seemed like quite the charming, eloquent gentleman when I was stood behind him in the queue."

Rox couldn't help but scoff and she turned to look at Ignis.

"That 'gentleman' was my ex. Don't ask me what I was thinking, even I don't know."

Ignis' eyes widened as they passed under a street lamp and it illuminated the mess of Rox's cheek.

"Goodness. Well if I ever happen to bump into him again, I will kindly break his nose for you as well."

"Be my guest," Rox urged with a laugh and Gladiolus snorted from the back.

"I'd love to see that, Specs."

"I'm sure you would. Now, I don't know where you were intending on heading but might I suggest you come up to Noct's apartment with me so we can get some ice on your cheek Rox before the bruising gets too bad."

"Already on it, Iggy. Was gonna head up to the Citadel since I need to get changed too. You mind dropping us there?"

"Not at all, I'm sure Noct and Prompto won't wither away in the meantime."

Rox felt her heart speed up in anticipation as they finally passed through the Citadel's intricate metal gates and Ignis drove them along the wide road, pulling up at the bottom of the grand staircase and bidding them goodnight. The Citadel looked even more monstrous up close and even craning her neck, Rox couldn't see the top.

Gladiolus noticed her apprehension and placed a large, warm hand on her back.

"I forget this is kinda a big deal for people who don't come here every day. I've got ya, although if we do run into the King, don't talk to him like you did with me when we first met."

Rox glared darkly at him.

"Somehow I doubt he'll be trying to seduce me."

Something playful twinkled in Gladiolus' eyes.

"He better not. I might get in trouble if I break _his_ nose."

As it was, they didn't see anyone save for the Crownsguard who were stood at their various posts in the entrance hall and beyond. Gladiolus only greeted the ones they had to walk right past and Rox awkwardly nodded her head to them, making sure her hair was covering her face as much as possible and cringing a little as some of them raised their eyebrows or smirked at Gladiolus knowingly. She doubted this was the first time they'd seen him escorting a woman up to his quarters of an evening.

A seemingly endless elevator ride later deposited them in yet another identical, opulent corridor of dark marble and ambient lighting but Gladiolus led them on, rounding the corner before he stopped outside a door and whipped a key card out of his pocket, pressing it against a panel on the wall. The mechanism within the door shifted and Gladiolus pushed it open, gesturing for her to enter.

"After you."

Rox stepped into a relatively large kitchen that coupled as a lounge, with a row of counters and appliances lining the walls through a little archway in the far righthand corner of the room while a little closer towards the door hung a TV that faced a small leather sofa with a glass coffee table nestled between. On the left was the bedroom and Rox quickly averted her eyes as she caught sight of a large, double bed through the ajar door; after her previous comment she didn't want Gladiolus catching her looking anywhere near his bedroom.

It was all furnished in the same regal but somewhat modern manner that she'd seen throughout the Citadel with dark colours and glass accents but it was clear that it was lived in. Various sets of weights lay at the back of the room in front of a small bookcase, the shelves of which were straining with all the books they held. More books sat upon the coffee table along with a few glasses and plates and there were some clothes draped over the back of the sofa.

Rox curiously ran her fingers over the gold stitching of what she recognised to be the jacket of the Crownsguard uniform but it was snatched out from under her hand before she could look at it more closely.

"Maybe if you're lucky you'll get to see me in this someday," Gladiolus murmured in her ear as he leant across her and then went to deposit his clothes in his bedroom, calling behind him as he walked. "Make yourself at home. Sorry for the mess, I wasn't expecting company tonight."

"Yeah, right," Rox teased as she sat down, feeling a little too on edge to relax back into the leather. "When are you ever not 'expecting company'?"

Gladiolus emerged from the other room, having ditched his bloodied shirt and he pulled a clean, grey tank top down over his chest as he walked into the kitchen.

"You got me all wrong, Rox, I'm actually a real gent when I want to be. I might come across as a jerk with a massive ego to begin with but there's far more to me than that. Here, take this."

Rox looked up from her study of the books scattered across the coffee table to see Gladiolus stood to her left, holding out an ice pack and she took it, almost groaning as she pressed it to her cheek and felt instantaneous, blissful relief.

"Thanks," she sighed, closing her eyes as the cold began to extinguish the flames that had been raging under her skin. "Didn't realise how much it was hurting."

"Adrenaline. It's your best friend and worst enemy at the same time. It might hurt a bit more once your body starts to come down but I've got plenty of ice. My whole freezer's stuffed with them ice packs."

"You always hurting yourself?"

Gladiolus laughed from somewhere in the apartment and Rox opened her eyes to see him back in the kitchen.

"Now and then. Noct usually comes off worse."

"You beat up the Prince?" Rox asked incredulously and Gladiolus' laughter boomed through the apartment again as he returned carrying two short glasses with rich, dark liquid sloshing around in the bottom.

"I'm paid to," he replied with a grin, easing himself down on the sofa next to her. He gestured for her to take one of the glasses in his hands. "Drink up, doctor's orders."

Rox raised an eyebrow at him questionably as she took a glass.

"Didn't realise they taught you medicine in the Crownsguard." She took a deep swig only to regret it as potent alcohol hit the back of her throat, burning as it went down. "Wow that's strong," she wheezed and Gladiolus nudged her in the side.

"Don't waste it, that's the best bourbon in all of Lucis. Got it for my twenty-first and it's still going. You should count yourself lucky, don't normally share it but thought you could use a drink."

Rox threw an apologetic smile at him before taking another, considerably smaller sip. She let the bourbon remain in her mouth and a sea of woody spices and rich, earthy flavours washed over her tongue, the taste lingering after she'd swallowed and building to a satisfying finish.

"On second thoughts, it's pretty damn good."

Gladiolus took a sip himself and a contented noise hummed in his throat after he swallowed.

"Knew you'd like it. Speaking of medical stuff though, you'd be surprised what we're expected to know. Since I'm Noct's Shield, I gotta know how to take care of him if he got injured. Wouldn't exactly be a good enough excuse if we were stranded somewhere and I let him die just 'cause I didn't know what to do." He leant forward and placed his glass down on the table in front of them. "Now I've convinced you I'm a real doc, mind if I take a look at your face? Just wanna check we don't need more than ice and a stiff drink."

"Umm, sure," Rox answered, twisting round so she was facing him a little more and lowering the icepack so he could assess the damage. She became acutely aware of just how close he was as he shuffled forward, bending his head a little so he could see better and she tried to look anywhere but his eyes but of course, she failed miserably and instantly regretted it.

A smile passed across Gladiolus' lips as she swallowed hard and lowered her eyes.

"Anyone would think I make you nervous."

"Nervous that this is gonna hurt like a bitch, yeah," she retorted, deciding it was just safest to close her eyes altogether.

Removing her sight did nothing to block out the low chuckle that rumbled close to her ear or the rich scent of his aftershave that was somewhat intoxicating the more she breathed it in. All of that was thrown from her mind though when his fingers pressed against her abused skin and she hissed sharply, jerking her head backwards and opening her eyes to glare at him.

"Watch it," she growled but Gladiolus didn't seem deterred, his amber eyes carefully studying the wound.

"Sorry darlin'. Reckon you're gonna have one hell of a bruise but should be fine otherwise." He broke off, his heavy brows suddenly furrowing. "He hit you pretty damn hard, Rox."

"Yeah well, you hit him harder," Rox joked with a half-hearted laugh.

"Not hard enough," Gladiolus grumbled, sighing as he lifted Rox's hand and the icepack and pressed them back against her cheek. "Keep that on there for now."

As he lowered his hand, their eyes locked and Rox suddenly felt overwhelming gratitude towards the man who only a couple of weeks ago she could barely stand.

"Gladio...thank you, seriously, for what you did. I dread to think what would have happened if you hadn't of been there."

The moment seemed to intensify only for Gladiolus to break it as he leant forward, resting his elbows against his knees and he took a deep swig from his glass.

"It was nothing. Just wish I'd got there sooner. Why didn't you tell me about this guy?"

Rox shrugged, fiddling with the glass in her lap.

"It didn't exactly come up in conversation. And besides, I've been trying to forget that the bastard even exists, not that he'll let me."

"If he's any sense, he will now," Gladiolus huffed and Rox laughed.

"Think you scared the shit out of him. It was about time someone did." She broke off, staring into the air thoughtfully. "Perhaps I should take up martial arts or something. Would love to be able to throw a punch like you did or even have just been able to push him off. I _hate_ being made to feel pathetic like that."

Gladiolus reclined in his seat once more, stretching his left arm across the back of the seat so his hand was almost touching Rox's shoulder.

"If it's self-defence you want, I could teach ya a few tricks."

A quiver of excitement shot down Rox's spine at the prospect.

"What, like now?"

Gladiolus mulled it over for a second, a grin lifting the serious look that had settled over his face.

"Don't normally teach this late but we are in the Citadel and the training rooms are usually quiet this time of night...alright why not, darlin'. You're on. You need to let that ice work a bit more of its magic before we go anywhere, though. And the bourbon too."

Rox reciprocated his smirk.

"Does this mean you'll teach me how to throw you onto your ass?"

"If you can catch me," Gladiolus teased with a wink. "Tell you what, you get me on my ass and I'll buy you breakfast."

Rox glared at him in outrage, trying to ignore the anticipation that was suddenly clawing at her stomach.

"Since when was I staying over?

"I never said you were," he countered, his voice taking on the rich, deep tone that made her heart kick into overdrive. "That's the second time now you've invited yourself to my bedroom tonight. Something on your mind, Rox?"

Rox instinctively went to protest but then an idea struck her. She looked up at him through her eyelashes, parting her lips slightly and she let her voice become low and breathy, dripping with suggestion.

"What if there was?"

Gladiolus' pupils visibly dilated and he took a deep intake of breath only for a chuckle to rumble in his chest as he shook his head at her.

"Trying to play dirty again, are we? Unfortunately for you, I'm a highly-trained warrior so distraction techniques don't work on me. In fact, they make me even more focused. Looks like you're the one who'll be buying breakfast tomorrow."

Before Rox could protest further, especially about the fact that it seemed she was having breakfast with him regardless in the morning, Gladiolus grabbed the remote on the table and switched the TV on, flicking through the channels until he settled on a rerun of an old sitcom and relaxed back into his seat, lifting his legs up onto the coffee table and crossing one over the other.

She took another sip of bourbon, concluding with a cynical, inward laugh that her life wasn't exactly unlike those of the characters that were on the screen before her.

Some evening it had turned out to be and it had barely even begun.


	7. Chapter 7

Thirty minutes had never passed so slowly before.

Or agonisingly.

Rox tried desperately to concentrate on what was happening on the TV but within five minutes she'd given up on following the plot altogether as thinking about anything other than the man beside her became entirely impossible.

He took up the majority of the sofa purely due to his sheer size and the whole thing vibrated each time he laughed at the TV, just in case she needed reminding he was sat next to her. To make matters worse, Gladiolus had also kept his left arm stretched across the back of the sofa, his hand resting just behind her head. She would occasionally unintentionally lean backwards enough to feel his fingers brush the back of her neck and it was like a bolt of electricity had been fired down her spine each time.

Gladiolus seemed entirely at ease, content to sit in silence but if anything, the silence just seemed to intensify the tension that was growing between them, not that he appeared affected by it in the slightest.

Rox, on the other hand, was quite the opposite.

Gladiolus' words from earlier kept echoing through the chaos that was raging in her mind:

' _That's the second time now you've invited yourself to my bedroom tonight. Something on your mind, Rox?_ '

Yes there damn well was.

And it was driving her mad.

What in the name of the Six was going on between them?

The night they had met in _Somnus_ had been flirtatious and fun and Gladiolus' intentions had been extremely clear, allowing her to become immune to his refined powers of seduction. Or so she had thought. Their little games of 'hide and seek' the previous weekend had rendered her giddy and breathless, like she was some smitten teenager all over again and his purposely vague promise of a date had had her climbing the walls ever since, the anticipation becoming almost too much to bear, especially as she hadn't even heard a thing from him until tonight.

But that was nothing compared to how she was feeling now. She could understand his compulsion to protect her from Vanus, after all it was his sworn duty to quite literally be a shield against danger and violence. What was eating away at her though was the genuine concern that had been plastered on his face and the care he had insisted on showing her since. They certainly hadn't been the result of a warrior's instinct.

So what was it? Affection?

The prospect seemed ridiculous, they barely knew each other. And yet, sat as they were it felt as if they were close friends or something just enjoying a drink together in his apartment.

Rox laughed silently at the prospect.

Even from the start there had been no way they could ever had just been friends. He was attracted to her, he'd made that very clear and she, well, _she_ was caught somewhere between incapacitating infatuation and blistering resent for the man, both feelings just seeming to aggravate the other. Unless she left now, which would be the sensible thing to do, there was only one way she could see the evening ending and the mere thought made her palms clammy and stomach launch into acrobatics.

She laughed at herself again.

Since when did she ever listen to sense?

Gladiolus suddenly turned to look at her, an eyebrow raised.

"What's so funny?"

Rox chided herself fiercely; maybe she hadn't laughed as inwardly as she had thought. Rather than go through the mortifying horror of telling him just what had been going through her mind, she decided to claim ignorance.

"What?"

Tilting his head to look at her pointedly, Gladiolus gestured to the screen.

"You don't even so much as crack a smile during the whole episode but you laugh at the credits, twice at that? Either that alcohol's gone straight to your head or I must be missing the joke here as that's just a bunch of names, darlin'."

For the first time in half an hour, Rox's brain fully registered what was occurring on screen and sure enough the credits were flashing up to the beat of the catchy theme song. She sighed deeply, forcibly collecting herself before her runaway thoughts got her into trouble.

"I was thinking about what I'm gonna have for breakfast," she replied with a smug smile. "I fancy trying that 'all you can eat' place I see on my way to work. It's a little pricey but since you'll be paying, that won't matter."

"Confidence, I like it." He threw a wink at her, something almost predatory glinting in his eyes. "Shame it's not gonna help you beat me, though."

Willing herself to ignore the impact his stare was having on her, Rox continued to tease him.

"Even a mighty Royal Shield will have a weakness. My bets are on you being ticklish."

A low, dark chuckle vibrated through his throat.

"Again, you'll have to catch me to find out."

He suddenly leant forward and Rox prayed the panic that lanced through her wasn't visible on her face but if it was, Gladiolus didn't seem to notice. Gently lowering the icepack from her face that had long since melted, he studied her wound intently.

"Looks about as good as its gonna get for now. You wanna do this, then?"

Rox was about to agree enthusiastically when something dawned on her as she looked down at the clothes she was wearing, a slightly informal skirt and top combination that she could only get away with on Fridays.

"Sure but only problem is I'm not exactly dressed appropriately for physical activity."

Gladiolus' eyes proceeded to wash over her before returning back to her own, his gaze suddenly burning.

"Hmm, so you are."

His words were laced with suggestion, his husky voice dropping even lower than usual and Rox forgot how to breathe for a few seconds until, mercifully he broke their eye contact as he got to his feet and strolled to the door. He turned back to look at her.

"I'll find you some training gear downstairs, don't worry. Now you coming or what?"

Rox, who was still trying to recover from his latest attack on her sanity and self-control, cursed him under her breath before pushing herself out of her seat and walking over to join him.

"Let's go."

A long elevator ride and another walk through a labyrinth of corridors led them to a long hallway that widened out with many doors studied along its length on either side. Gladiolus pushed open one set of double doors and Rox quietly gasped as she walked through. They'd descended quite a way in the elevator and yet buried as they were somewhere in the depths of the Citadel, wooden beams arched across a ceiling soaring impossibly high above their heads. The dark, rich wood flowed across the walls as well, alternate panels adorned with intricate, golden patterns which sparkled slightly in the fading sunlight that drifted through the windows joining the walls to the ceiling.

The room suddenly illuminated as Gladiolus flicked a switch and the ornate lights that lined the walls burst into life, allowing Rox to fully appreciate the grandeur of the room before her. It had seemed obvious that the royal training halls would be rather more lavish than the rooms at her gym but the chamber they were stood in was more impressive than she ever could have imagined.

Gladiolus chuckled as he watched the awe fly across her face.

"Not a bad place to work, eh?"

Rox scoffed, thinking of her own, decidedly inferior workplace, namely a poky, cluttered desk squashed alongside countless others in the stuffy, cramped offices in the third floor of the insurance company's tower block.

"I'll say."

Gladiolus grunted as he stretched one arm across his body, pushing at the elbow and then did the same for his other arm. As he unravelled himself he pointed to a door on the far side of the room.

"You can get changed through there. Should be some stuff you can wear on the shelves just as you go in." He began walking to a door slightly to the right of the one he had directed Rox to. "Gonna get changed myself. Leather looks good but it ain't exactly the best to train in."

Rox breathed a silent sigh of relief as she watched him walk away. She was pretty sure she recognised the leather pants he was wearing from the night they had met in _Somnus_ , although honestly speaking there was no way she'd forget _those_ pants but that was beside the point. Given her current rather tense state of mind it was probably best he wasn't wearing anything quite as tight if she was going to have any hope of concentrating.

Hurrying over to the left-hand door, Rox pushed it open to reveal a large changing area and she quickly found the shelves Gladiolus had been referring to. Throwing her clothes to the side, she pulled on some black leggings and a stretchy vest top, resignedly concluding that she was going to have to go barefoot since her heels wouldn't exactly make for the most appropriate footwear, albeit probably rather effective weapons. She muttered a fervent word of thanks to whoever had thought to leave a pot of hair ties on one of the shelves and she scraped her hair upwards into a high ponytail. Although her hair probably could blind Gladiolus, it was more likely just to blind her and she didn't want to disadvantage herself more than she undoubtedly already was.

Re-emerging into the main chamber, Rox glanced around, looking for Gladiolus and she stopped in her tracks, her heart proceeding to stop for a moment too as she caught sight of him leaning against the wall between the two doors.

His offending leather pants had been replaced with loosely fitting, grey sweatpants that hung low on his hips but the rest of what he was now wearing was even more of a crime. Or not wearing, as it was.

His top half was entirely bare, and Rox couldn't help but drink in every inch of his tanned skin that was pulled taut over his defined, sculpted muscles and decorated with the most glorious tattoo she had ever seen. Only the feathery lines along his arms had been visible before but now she could see they formed just the wings of a magnificent bird of prey that flowed across one half of his chest and continued down his back. It was a stunning piece of art, brought to life by a similarly breath-taking canvas and Rox knew she was openly staring but in her defence, it was pretty impossible not to.

Gladiolus noticed, of course, and was suitably smug about her attention.

"Like what you see?"

He pushed himself off the wall, prowling towards her and Rox felt her stomach clench, her mouth suddenly becoming extremely dry.

"As much as I hate to feed your ego, that's one hell of a tattoo."

Gladiolus just flashed her a grin and then in a blink of an eye he pounced, grabbing Rox and flipping her round as he crushed her to his chest and pressed an arm against her throat, holding her just tight enough as not to hurt but to render her entirely unable to move. The speed and efficiency at which he had subdued her was as equally impressive as it was terrifying.

Rox gasped in shock, almost having been winded as she had smacked against his rock-hard chest and he bent his head down to speak in her ear.

"Rule number one: don't let yourself be distracted. It can leave you vulnerable to attack and decide the fight in a matter of seconds."

A few shaky breaths shuddered through Rox's chest, the fact that she was entirely flush against his body becoming increasingly more apparent as her senses recovered.

"That wasn't fair…give me some warning next time!"

"That's exactly my point, you won't have warning. It's hurt or be hurt. No one's gonna wait until you're ready. They're gonna see an opening and they're gonna take it. Now, tell me how you would get out of this position."

Rox thought for a second. She couldn't turn, he was holding her too tightly but it was only by her neck. Her arms, although they had instinctively grabbed his arm as it had wrapped round to choke her, we entirely free, her elbows resting on the muscles of his lower abdomen.

A smirk spread across her face. If she aimed just a little further south she could well and truly decide the fight in a manner of seconds, easily winning her breakfast as well but as much as she was tempted, she didn't want to completely incapacitate him.

Nothing wrong with giving him a little fright though. She was only returning the favour, of course.

Raising her arm slightly, she drove it backwards into his flesh, making sure she was just a fraction higher than what would have undeniably been her mark had she truly been in danger.

Judging by the guttural growl that ripped from Gladiolus' throat as he leapt backwards and immediately released her, it seemed like she was in danger anyway.

"Jeez Rox…what part of 'tell me' didn't you understand?"

Rox turned round to face him, placing her hands on her hips and grinning at him triumphantly.

"Thought you said it was 'hurt or be hurt'."

Gladiolus' gaze darkened and he folded his arms against his chiselled chest.

"Alright, smart ass. Any chance of me going easy on you has now gone. You better work damn hard, I don't impress easy and we're not leaving until I see perfection."

Biting her lips to supress the smile that was threatening, Rox dipped her head.

"Yes sir."

One of Gladiolus' dark eyebrows twitched as it seemed he was fighting the urge to smile too.

"That's more like it. Now into the centre, we've got work to do."

Over the next hour, Gladiolus worked her harder than she had ever managed even on her toughest days at the gym. He taught her the best places to attack and what parts of her body to attack with to maximise the effect, explaining how to use her bodyweight to her advantage which was particularly advantageous if she was heavily outmatched in height, as was the case between the two of them. He also had her escape a series of increasingly difficult and uncomfortable restraints until only one challenge remained.

"It's time to put everything you've learnt into practise, Rox. How much do you want that breakfast?"

Rox stared at Gladiolus. He showed no sign of the gruelling combat they had been doing for the past hour, there wasn't even a drop of sweat on him. She, however, felt drenched and she walked round slowly to face him, needing the moment of brief respite to gather her strength for what would undeniably be the hardest task he had set all night, one that seemed quite impossible.

Not that she was going to let that stop her, however.

She threw all she had at him and although she thought she'd mastered the moves, it seemed Gladiolus had been holding back so that she could get a feel for how they were supposed to be executed. Despite his imposing size he was lightning fast and incredibly graceful, managing to predict Rox's attacks and evade them flawlessly time and time again.

She lost count of the amount of times that she was thrown to the floor, only to be immediately told by Gladiolus to get back to her feet and her strength and her patience quickly ran out.

"How the hell am I supposed to beat you?" she grumbled as she picked herself up and stormed over to one of the benches lining the walls, proceeding to collapse onto it as soon as she got close and glare at the ground. "Aside from the fact that you're an actual trained fighter, the height difference between us is just ridiculous. What are you, six foot four or something stupid?"

Gladiolus chuckled as he strolled towards her.

"Six foot six, actually."

"Are you serious? A whole foot taller than me? If that's not enough you also probably have more muscle on one arm than I do on my whole damn body. This really is impossible."

"Nahh, you just need a breather. Want a drink?"

Rox looked up to see him holding out a bottle of water and she grabbed it gratefully, taking large gulps and sighing as the cool liquid slid down her throat.

"Thanks. You this tough on the Prince too?"

"Tougher," he replied smugly. "He hated my guts when we were growing up and to be honest I couldn't stand the arrogant, spoilt little princess he was either. I think he appreciates it now though and he's getting pretty damn good." He smiled proudly. "He's managed to beat my ass a fair few times."

Rox pulled on her ponytail, tightening it and she wiped the sweat from her brow.

"Huh. Maybe I should ask him for a few tips then."

"He's just doing what I've already told you, using my own weight against me. Same goes for when we're using weapons. I might be able to do far more damage with one strike of my sword but he's far quicker and some days I can't catch him."

Intrigue spread through Rox at his words and she sat a little straighter.

"You actually fight with real weapons? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Course. How else would he learn how to defend himself, or anyone else for that matter?" A grin spread across his face. "You wanna see?"

"Sure."

With an almost absent-minded flick of his wrist, an impossibly huge greatsword materialised in Gladiolus' hand and he slung it over his shoulder, resting it in the grooves of the strong muscles there. Rox's mouth hung open as she stared at him in absolute awe.

"How the hell did you do that? Is it real?"

Gladiolus chuckled at her astonishment.

"Just one of the perks of serving the Crown, darlin'. You bet it's real. Here, see for yourself."

He lowered it from his shoulder, holding the sword horizontally and gesturing for Rox to take the hilt. Rox pushed herself to her feet, gazing reverently at the immense weapon before her. Tentatively she took it from him only to stagger under its impossible weight and she yelped but the weight disappeared instantly as Gladiolus grabbed it again, handling the weapon effortlessly as if it weighed no more than the bottle of water he had handed her earlier.

"No wonder your muscles have muscles if you're throwing that thing around on a daily basis," Rox scoffed and Gladiolus just shrugged.

"It ain't too bad once you know how to handle it. It's all about the footwork really." With another twitch of his wrist, the monstrous sword vanished once more only for a much daintier sword to replace it in Gladiolus' awaiting grip. "I wouldn't think a greatsword would be your weapon of choice anyway. This is probably far more your kinda blade." He threw the sword gently into the air, catching the lethal blade gently between his fingers and holding out the hilt towards Rox.

This time the weight was far more manageable and Rox studied the weapon intently, marvelling at how the light glinted off the gold that snaked in an intricate design through the centre of the blade and around the handle. She ran a tentative finger down its deadly edge.

"Watch it Rox, that's sharp…"

Gladiolus' warning came a moment too late however and Rox hissed as the sword sliced her skin. She instinctively dropped it, swearing as it clattered loudly to the ground and she immediately bent down, hoping that she hadn't damaged it at all; she doubted it would go down particularly well if she had dinted what was probably a priceless piece of the Prince's inheritance.

"Perhaps we better leave off the weapon training for a while until you work out which end is the business one," Gladiolus teased, shaking his head in amusement as he walked towards her. He frowned when Rox didn't respond, remaining on the floor and tightly clutching her hand. "Shit, don't tell me you've actually hurt yourself…Let me see how deep it is, Rox."

The cut wasn't deep at all, in fact it was so shallow it could barely be bothered to bleed but Rox wasn't about to tell Gladiolus that. If he came just a little closer and she perfectly executed the plan that was forming in her head, she might had just found a way to overpower the Shield after all.

As he bent down slightly, reaching out to touch her shoulder, Rox struck. She launched herself at him, using the power from her legs to throw all her weight at him and just as Gladiolus had taught her, she stuck out her right foot and placed it behind his to try and trip him.

It worked more beautifully than she could ever had imagined.

With his footing unstable and the entirety of Rox's weight crashing into him, Gladiolus was powerless to stop himself as he toppled backwards and fell heavily to the floor. Not to go down alone, he dragged Rox with him and she landed on his chest but it didn't matter.

He was buying breakfast all the same.

Taking a moment to enjoy the shock that was plastered on his face, Rox began to gloat.

"Looks like someone forgot rule one."

Gladiolus' eyes narrowed but a grin quickly sneaked across his lips.

"Not bad, darlin'. Colour me impressed, you're a fast learner."

Rox went to reply but all coherent thought fled from her mind as it suddenly dawned on her that she was lying directly on top of Gladiolus, their faces mere inches from each other's. She could feel the heat of his skin even through her clothes and his heart was beating just as wildly again her own.

He looked just as affected by their contact as she was and after a moment's hesitation, he traced a finger softly up her cheek, curling the rest of his hand round the back of her slender neck. They lingered like that for a few seconds, the silence intensifying as they stared at each other before Gladiolus gently pulled her head towards his.

Their lips met in a sweet but firm kiss and Rox practically melted at his touch as his other hand found the curve at the small of her back and pressed their bodies even closer together. It was over far too soon but Rox still felt breathless as they broke apart, wanting nothing more than to kiss him again. Trailing her fingers up his side, she went to sink them into his unruly hair only for him to tense as a hiss whistled through his teeth.

Rox stared at him in confusion for a second before she snapped out of the intoxication of the moment and her eyes widened as she smirked mischievously.

"You are ticklish, I knew it!"

Before she could exploit her newfound information, he flipped them over so she was beneath him, pinning both of her arms above her head with one of his own and silencing the protest that had been forming on her tongue with another, far bolder kiss. Rox retaliated the only way she could, deepening the kiss and she couldn't help but arch her body against his, chasing the contact of his skin once more. Her skin was burning and the glorious noise that rumbled in his chest at her advances threatened to set her entirely ablaze.

He jerked his head backward and glared at her, the primal intensity in his eyes all but shattering what little resolve she had left.

"Damn it Rox, my self-control ain't gonna hold if you start kissing me like that…"

Judging by what she could feel through the extreme proximity of their bodies, his self-control was indeed teetering on a knife-edge.

"You started it," she retorted, her mind far too fried to think of anything more creative.

Gladiolus continued to glare at her, looking like he was deliberating something before he sighed deeply.

"Yeah, and I'm finishing it." Pushing himself to his feet, he held out a hand towards Rox. "Come on, think we should call it a day before someone walks in on us."

The rapturous haze that Rox had been floating away on suddenly vanished as she remembered not only were they technically in a public place but also in the quarters within the Citadel where the Crownsguard and more importantly the Crown Prince received their formal combat training. A very different heat flew across her cheeks as her mind tortured her with images of someone having walked in and caught sight of their entanglement. She grabbed Gladiolus' outstretched hand and leapt to her feet as His Majesty's face flashed before her imagination, his expression taut with fury and shock as he glared disapprovingly at their embrace.

"Yep, I think you're right. Victory is mine, anyway," she added smugly, beginning to walk towards the doors only to realise that Gladiolus wasn't following her.

"It certainly is. Now you're welcome to keep your training gear as a souvenir of said victory over me but it seems a shame to leave your other clothes. I kinda liked you in that skirt. Grab a shower if you want too, I sure will."

Rox's suddenly felt extremely foolish as she whipped round and stalked back the other way, refusing to look at Gladiolus' face as she passed. Her brain was not functioning properly again yet and he was very much the reason for it. Even turning the temperature of the shower down as low as she could bear didn't seem to help.

Once they were changed they headed back to Gladiolus' apartment in silence, something tangible building in the air. Every time Rox risked a glance towards Gladiolus she saw his heavy brows sinking deeper and deeper as if something was troubling him and even when they stepped through his door and Gladiolus closed it behind him, he didn't break the silence but instead ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

Rox waited, sensing he needed a moment to gather his thoughts on whatever was bothering him and sure enough he stepped forward, throwing his hands down as he looked to her.

"You must be getting tired, I'll walk you home now before it gets too late."

Fierce disappointment lanced through Rox; why was he so desperate to have her gone all of a sudden? She tried to act indifferent although the churning in her stomach told her she was anything but.

"Guess I must be losing my touch. Men don't usually kick me out immediately after I've kissed them."

The seriousness lifted from Gladiolus' face for a second only for it to return tenfold.

"Shit Rox, it ain't that. After everything that's happened tonight I shouldn't have kissed you. Hell, I shouldn't have even brought you back here. I should have just patched you up at Noct's and taken you home…"

Rox stared incredulously at Gladiolus as he vented his remorse. Had the night gone as he had originally intended they possibly would have still been stood where they were now, although perhaps wearing considerably less and certainly not discussing whether or not they should be participating in the inevitable. Besides, it wasn't like he had forced himself upon her. She had willingly kissed him back, albeit maybe a little too willingly but she was past the point of trying to resist her attraction to him.

It was clear what they both wanted and she was damned if she was going to let her scumbag of an ex get in the way.

"Gladio?"

He'd begun to pace as he'd spoken but he stopped as she cut him off, his eyes flicking to hers.

"Hmm?"

Bracing herself as the heat of his gaze fell onto her, she tried to keep her voice steady but it trembled all the same.

"For the love of the Six, just kiss me."

Gladiolus' composure crumbled at her words and he threw himself across the gap between them, sweeping her into his arms and crushing his lips against hers. Rox abandoned herself to the kiss, stretching up to weave her fingers through his hair and in one swift movement, Gladiolus lifted her from the ground. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his back, anchoring herself to him and he pressed her up against the wall behind, holding her face in both of his large hands as he deepened the kiss only to break off suddenly.

Rox gasped for air but it immediately morphed into a sigh and she clung to his hair like a lifeline as his lips began to descend, travelling down her jaw and neck. Some kisses were gentle, others were urgent and he explored across each of her collarbones, coming to rest in the little hollow where they met.

Although Rox had drifted away in bliss as he had worshiped her skin, she was pulled back to reality as he stopped and then raised his head, pressing their foreheads together before he sighed and leant back to look into her eyes.

"I can't do this, Rox."

Rox felt as if air had just been denied to her; the few intimate minutes they had shared had taken the desire that had been smouldering under the surface of her skin for the past few weeks and ignited it. And yet, now Gladiolus had everything he had vowed to achieve from the start, it seemed like he had changed his mind.

"Why?" she whispered, praying the hurt of his rejection wasn't evident on her face.

Gladiolus swept some strands of dark hair behind her ear that had fallen out of her long since destroyed ponytail, his fingers coming to rest at the nape of her neck.

"Don't think it's because I don't want to because _fuck_ Rox, I do, but I can't tonight. Not after what happened, not after what _he_ did." He brushed his thumb lightly over the bruising skin on her cheek, his brow furrowing. "Let me do this properly, ok? Gods you deserve it."

He untangled her legs from around his waist, since she seemed to be frozen in place as he tried to move away and he lowered her gently to the ground.

Rox closed her eyes and took a slow, long breath, trying to contain the torrent of emotions that were swirling round her chest. In a matter of seconds, she had gone from pure ecstasy to bitter disappointment and now her heart felt ready to burst as she stared in awe at the man who had a renowned, infamous reputation for being a womaniser and had personally added some weight to the rumours given how he had acted the night they had met and yet now, he was speaking as if the steamy fling he had clearly wanted in the beginning was not what he wanted anymore.

What did he want from her then?

Rox thought better than to challenge him at that moment; it seemed they were both a little overcome with how the evening had turned out. Instead she tried her best to ease the tension that had come between them.

"If someone had told me back in _Somnus_ on the night we met that you would be the one to get cold feet I would have probably choked on my drink laughing. I guess you are a gentleman. As much as I appreciate it, I really hate you right now."

Gladiolus chuckled lightly, tracing two fingers gently along her cheekbones and along her jaw, coming to hold her chin and tilt her head upwards so she met the amber of his gaze.

"You've hated me all along so nothing new there. I'll make it worth the wait, I promise."

Before the moment between them could intensify anymore, Gladiolus broke their contact and wandered into the kitchen, returning with the bottle of bourbon they had drank from earlier.

"Fancy a nightcap? Don't like the idea of you leaving just yet."

Rox found herself smiling at his words.

"Sure. I guess I can stay a little longer."

He filled their glasses with generous measures and they settled on the sofa as Gladiolus flicked the TV on again and a late-night quiz show filled the screen. They drank mostly in silence, calling out the answers occasionally and congratulating the other when they got it right or mocking them fiercely when they weren't even remotely close.

As she finished her drink, the day's events finally caught up with Rox and she found her eyes becoming heavier by the second and a huge yawn seized her which didn't go unnoticed by Gladiolus.

"Gods I didn't realise you were practically asleep there. You can crash in my bed if you like, I don't mind sleeping here."

"You kidding?" Rox scoffed once she'd recovered from her yawn. "There's no way you'd fit on here. I'll sleep on the couch, you have your bed."

Gladiolus rolled his eyes.

"Rox I'm not having you suffer on my couch."

"And I'm not having you kill your back trying to be chivalrous. What would the Prince do if you woke up and could barely move? It's not like he's got a backup Shield."

"You're a nightmare, you know that?" He sighed, stretching his left arm out across the back of the sofa. "Well you crash where you want but I'm staying here."

"We'll see."

Rox tried to wait it out, thinking Gladiolus would get tired himself and eventually give in to the comfort of his bed but she could barely keep her eyes open and soon the voices on the TV became fuzzy as she drifted off. She was briefly aware that her head had sunk down onto Gladiolus' chest and she listened to his heart pulsing away within as she felt his arm curl round her back, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. He began to gently stroke it with his thumb and the soothing movement coupled with the heat of their two bodies soon lulled her off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Rox awoke with her head resting against a cushion and she blinked blearily a few times, becoming increasingly aware that she wasn't in her own bed but on a sofa which wasn't her own.

A sofa?

And then it all came flooding back.

She sat bolt upright, her mind racing. She'd slept in Gladiolus' apartment, actually falling asleep on the man if her memories served her right after what had been one hell of an evening. He wasn't with her now though and as she craned her neck to see if he had moved in the night, she realised with a wave of surprise that his bedroom door was entirely open with the bed seemingly empty. Straining her ears quickly ruled out the chance of him being in the shower; she couldn't hear anything. A quick hunt for her phone revealed that it was little past eight thirty am and given that it was a Saturday, she doubted he'd needed to be up for work and if he did, surely he would have woken her and made her leave?

No, of course he didn't have work, he wouldn't have introduced the whole idea about breakfast if he'd needed to rush off early in the morning.

So where was he?

Rox prayed that he wasn't planning on doing the whole cliché thing she'd seen countless times in movies where one of the characters wakes up alone after spending the night with their lover, thinking they'd been ditched only for said lover to return with coffee or some kind of food. She doubted it was really his style, after all, he wanted to take her out for breakfast and besides, they certainly hadn't slept together.

No, instead he'd thrown her up against a wall and kissed her until she'd forgotten her own name only to deny her everything in a last minute act of chivalry and now leave her furiously questioning just what was going through his head.

Sadly, looking round at his empty apartment wasn't going to help her find any answers. With a sigh Rox looked to her phone, beginning to write him a text only to spy a piece of paper sat on the coffee table that she was certain hadn't been there last night. Abandoning her phone, she leant across and grabbed the paper which was written on in the same messy handwriting that had been on the note left for her in the library.

' _Gone for a run. Should be back before you're up but if you are, feel free to make yourself at home. Hope you're hungry!_

 _G x'_

Rox chided herself for not thinking of it before; of course that was where he had gone. Gladiolus probably had an insanely strict fitness regime that couldn't be deviated from, no matter what day it was or whose company he was in. At least she'd woken with enough time to at least dive into the bathroom before he could truly see her in the light of the day. Mornings were not her favourite at the best of times but given that she'd slept with all her makeup on and her hair left free to its own devices, she reckoned she could probably give even the most horrifying daemon a run for its money. Also judging by the itchy dryness of her eyes, sleeping in her contacts hadn't done her any favours either.

Grabbing her bag, Rox went in search of the bathroom and after switching on the light and locking the door, she finally faced herself in the large mirror that covered most of the back wall and couldn't help but laugh.

It was a miracle the glass hadn't smashed with the bedraggled monster that was staring back at her. Keen to not look too long for fear of blinding herself, Rox popped out her contacts and scraped her hair into a tight bun before switching on the shower and stepping under the stream of water. Taking a few minutes to enjoy the invigorating heat and glorious water pressure that made her own shower seem like a pathetic lukewarm trickle, she began scrubbing herself down and, feeling rather more human, she reluctantly stopped the flow of water and stepped out.

Grabbing a clean towel from the shelves just off to the side, Rox quickly dried herself off and then put her clothes back on with a sigh, praying they weren't too noticeably worn. She gave herself a mental pat on the back for thinking to pick up her makeup bag when she had left her apartment for work the morning before. Not only was the idea of facing the world and more crucially the Prince's Shield completely barefaced absolutely abhorrent, her delightful ex had left quite the mark on her cheek which was starting to bruise and turn a nasty purple. Doing her best to cover it up, Rox turned her attention to her hair, failing to even remotely tame it and eventually giving up and just leaving it in a ponytail. Another pat on the back came for always bringing her glasses out with her 'just in case'. No makeup would have been grim but being unable to see would have been a complete disaster, although given Gladiolus' previous comment about her glasses, he was bound to say something again.

Feeling as presentable as she was probably going to get, Rox gathered her things and unlocked the door, heading back towards the sofa to wait for Gladiolus to return.

As it was, he was already reclined in the spot where she had been sat and he twisted round as she approached.

"Hey," he said with a smile and the mere gesture set her heart off into acrobatics, her mouth instantly going bone dry. His presence startled her as she was sure she hadn't heard him come back but it wasn't exactly unreasonable for Gladiolus to be sat in his own apartment. She told herself fiercely to get a grip. It was going to be a long morning if the mere sight of him turned her into some nervous wreck.

Her faltering composure wavered dangerously as her eyes briefly dropped from his face and flowed over the material of his top that was slightly damp with sweat and clinging to the landscape of his sculpted chest and she quickly snapped her gaze back up.

"Hey," she replied, trying to reciprocate his smile and hoping it didn't look as forced as it felt. "I hope you haven't been waiting too long."

Gladiolus got to his feet with a sigh, stretching his arms high above his head and grunting as the muscles pulled.

"Nah, only got back about five minutes ago. You manage to work the shower and everything alright?"

Rox nodded, hating how cripplingly awkward she felt. There couldn't have been more than two paces between them but it felt like an eternity and yet far too close all at once.

"Yeah, thanks," she said, her mind quickly scrambling for something else to say. "Good run?"

"It was alright. I was tempted to drag you along with me but figured you needed the sleep after you straight up passed out on me last night." He suddenly chuckled and rubbed his back, wincing as he did. "You were right about crashing on the couch though, my back is killing this morning."

Normally Rox would have gloated at the revelation of being right but instead mortification gripped her tightly.

Not only had she fallen asleep on him but she had presumably stayed like that for the entire night since his sofa wasn't anywhere near big enough for her to lie down fully with Gladiolus sat on it too.

"Why didn't you move?" she demanded and Gladiolus shrugged.

"I was comfy, although my body would say different. Don't worry, you didn't snore that badly," he added jokingly although as Rox laughed half-heartedly, he finally seemed to sense the awkwardness between them. He took a step forward, his dark eyebrows raised slightly. "You alright, Rox? Not like you to be this quiet."

Rox shook her head dismissively, forcing her smile even more.

"I'm fine, mornings just aren't my best. Speaking of which, you better get showered and dressed or you'll be taking me out for lunch, not breakfast."

Gladiolus seemed to ignore her response, coming even closer still as his eyes flowed slowly over her face as if he was drinking in every inch of her features until the amber of his gaze settled on her eyes and he bent his head down, his hand finding the small of her back and pulling her towards him. Their lips met in a brief but searing kiss and Gladiolus broke their contact, leaning back enough so he could look into her eyes again.

"I hope that answers your question." With a sigh, he straightened up. "Right, I'll just have a quick shower and then I promise I'll feed ya. Won't be long, darlin'."

With that, he and strolled off towards the bathroom, pulling his tanktop over his head as he walked. Rox watched him until he disappeared from sight, acutely aware of how his kiss still burned on her lips and her cheeks tingled from his rough stubble. Clearing her throat, she finally thawed and headed back to the sofa, sinking into the leather and looking for anything that might take her mind off the frustration that seemed to have awoken with renewed vigour. The sexual tension had been bad enough the previous night but now it was almost unbearable coupled with the agonising ambiguity of just what was going on in their relationship, if they could even call it one.

And just kissing her wasn't going to make it any clearer.

Determined to occupy her mind with something, especially since Gladiolus had begun singing with full gusto in the shower, his rich, husky voice reverberating off the hard tiles, Rox pulled the pile of books towards her that was resting on the coffee table. There were a few that she hadn't read, alongside a copy of the book that Gladiolus had recommended for her when she had been at the library the week before.

She was close to finishing it and as she had predicted, a tragedy had befallen the cantankerous female lead and, upon being saved by the man she had previously barely tolerated and nearly killed a few times simply out of irritation, she had realised that perhaps he wasn't so bad after all.

A sharp laugh tumbled from her lips; it wasn't wholly unlike what had occurred between her and Gladiolus.

 _How meta_.

Her gaze moved onto the book below which, she realised with a barely supressed giggle, was a rather cheesy romance novel she herself had read a little while back. It was painfully tragic and sickly sweet but once she'd accepted it for what it was, it hadn't actually been that bad a read, even making her cry a little at the end. It certainly wasn't what she would have predicted to be Gladiolus' taste and she was suddenly impatient for him to get out the shower so she could question him and, more importantly, ridicule him about it.

Turning slightly in her seat, she opened the book and flicked through the pages, searching for her favourite scene where the stable boy had led the princess into the barn in a moment of spontaneous passion only for the princess' pompous, obnoxious suitor to arrive and complain indignantly that there was no one there to relieve him of his horse, forcing the pair to hide in a large pile of hay until he left in a rage.

She was so engrossed in her reading that she jumped when a deep chuckle sounded behind her.

"Damn, there's just something about you in them glasses. Beats me why you don't wear them all the time."

Rox whipped her head up to see Gladiolus leaning against the doorframe, his arms folded and a huge grin on his face. He'd since got changed, opting for white jeans which were only slightly less offending than his other pants and he'd covered his arms with a dark green leather jacket. He pushed himself off the wall, walking towards Rox, craning over her as he tried to get a glimpse of the book in her hand.

"Whatcha reading?"

Rox flipped the book over and held up the front cover, raising an eyebrow questioningly at Gladiolus.

"Didn't have you down for a fan of heart-breaking tales of love, especially ones as soppy as this. The gossip columns would have a field day if they knew."

Gladiolus just laughed, folding his arms against his chest once more.

"What can I say? I'm a romantic at heart. Probably best to keep that between us though. Got a reputation to maintain after all."

Rox couldn't help but scoff.

"Yeah might kinda ruin the whole terrifying, no nonsense Royal Shield thing, although your ridiculously oversized female fan club would probably lose their minds. By the way, if you think these sort of books will give you tips on how to seduce a woman you'll be seriously disappointed. If you tried to kiss me in the rain I would tell you to stop being so stupid and drag your sorry ass back inside."

"Don't need any tips when you're already the master of seduction," Gladiolus countered smugly. "I did like the idea of that barn scene though."

Rox quickly slid her thumb out of the page she had been reading, destroying the evidence that she had in fact been reading the exact same scene.

"Of course you did," she groaned, rolling her eyes and returning the book to the table. "The Prince better steer clear of any farms in that case. Saying that, since you're a _gentleman_ , you probably wouldn't do such a scandalous thing anyway."

Gladiolus' eyebrows twitched and then he suddenly leant in close to Rox, a toothy grin spreading across his face as her breathing visibly quickened and her eyes widened.

"I may be a gentleman but that doesn't mean I don't love being a scoundrel too, Rox." He paused for a moment, enjoying the little flushes of pink that were spreading across Rox's cheeks before he winked and straightened up. "Let's go eat, I'm starving."

Rox let out a long breath as she watched Gladiolus walk over to the door and slip his feet into his shoes, concluding that she was probably going to need a week just to recover from the small amount of time she had spent with him.

The man was simply exhausting.

Pushing herself from the sofa, she grabbed her bag and threw her shoes on too, following Gladiolus out into the corridor and back along the labyrinth to the elevator. Once they'd descended and stepped out, Gladiolus checked his phone quickly and instead of heading towards the monstrous doors that marked the exit, he gestured down a large corridor to their right.

"Come with me a sec. Wanna show you something."

"Umm…ok?" Rox said a little confusedly before following him once more as he began to walk away, clearly insisting on showing her whether she wanted to or not. He led her in silence until they emerged through an archway and into a room that had a staggeringly high ceiling and windows of jade green glass that cast beams of ethereal light and revealed the swirls of dust that drifted through the air. It was more breathtakingly beautiful than any church or ballroom that Rox had ever been in and yet it seemed to serve no more purpose than just another corridor leading from one section of the Citadel to the next.

"What is this place?" she gasped, not wanting to speak loudly for fear of breaking the almost divine peace that surrounded them.

Gladiolus was watching the awe on her face, a smile spreading across his own.

"Nowhere in particular, just somewhere I walk through on patrol sometimes. I wanted to bring you here because…well…" He broke off, sighing and running his fingers through his hair as he hastily checked his phone again. "I wanted you to sing." He bit the inside of his lip to stop himself laughing as Rox proceeded to look at him as if he had three heads.

"You want me to sing…" she repeated slowly, unable to decide if she was missing some joke or whether Gladiolus was being genuine. Much to her surprise, it seemed like he actually wanted her to sing.

"Look Rox, you sounded great up on that shitty stage the other week but I promise ya, the acoustics in here will beat any mic you've sang down. Just try it and see for yourself."

Rox still wasn't convinced.

"But won't somebody hear? I'm not even supposed to be here, let alone singing in some corridor that looks like it was pulled right from a fairy-tale castle."

"Nahh, it's too early, no one will be around yet."

Rox's fierce reluctance wavered as Gladiolus proceeded to sigh deeply and rub the back of his neck, looking almost sheepish, if that was possible given the size of his ego.

"I don't think you realise how good you are, Rox. Forgive a guy for just wanting to know what you sound like in here."

She stared at him incredulously for a few seconds before she shook her head and laughed.

"You're an idiot, you know that right?"

Gladiolus grinned, clearly knowing he'd won her over.

"The biggest." He gestured to the centre of the room. "Floor's yours, darlin'."

Rox walked a few steps forward, swinging her arms gently as she wracked her brains for something to satisfy Gladiolus' rather random request. Given the location, there was one song she knew of that seemed fitting, namely a little prayer written in one of the ancient languages thanking the gods for blessing the land with the promise of eternal peace and salvation from the darkness.

The moment the first note left her lips all of Rox's inhibitions instantly melted. The beautiful but haunting melody soared into the air and she closed her eyes, drifting away into the song as it echoed around her, floating upwards as if it was to reach the heavens and the very gods themselves. She forgot Gladiolus was watching and even that she was in the Citadel, truly enchanted by how ethereal and beautiful her voice sounded.

Gladiolus was right; the acoustics were more glorious than she could ever have imagined.

As the final note faded away into silence, Rox took a deep breath, grounding herself once more before she finally opened her eyes.

"Well, as much as I hate admitting you're right…"

The words died on her tongue as she turned around to face Gladiolus and realised she had gained a much larger audience during the time she had been singing, and a royal one at that.

Her heart plummeted into her stomach as she caught sight of none other than the King himself surrounded by several rather official and notably confused looking people. Gladiolus was stood just to the side of them looking exceptionally pleased with himself and Rox glanced at him in a mixture of outrage and panic until the King began to speak.

"I've never considered the corridor beside the council chambers to be a place for music before but perhaps it should be. That was truly beautiful." He turned to Gladiolus who bowed his head reverently. "Is this a friend of yours? I don't believe we've been introduced."

Gladiolus nodded, standing straight once more.

"Your Majesty, may I present Miss Ferox Venustas, a friend and a singer, although I imagine you probably already knew that."

King Regis laughed.

"Quite." He turned to address Rox once more. "It is a pleasure, Miss Venustas."

"The pleasure is mine, Your Majesty," Rox said shakily, not sure whether she was supposed to bow or curtsey and she ended up doing an awkward combination of the both. "I hope I didn't interrupt your meeting."

Regis smiled warmly, shaking his head.

"Not at all, we were just finishing and it was lovely to hear such a talented voice. Tell me, do you sing often?"

"Not really…" Rox began, flashing a glare towards Gladiolus as he risked a smirk in her direction. Judging by the fact he had been frequently checking his phone and was now looking beyond smug, he had known of their meeting and the fact that it was due to finish just as they had arrived.

In other words, he had set her up.

It seemed he wasn't quite satisfied yet, however.

"She's just being modest, Your Majesty," he urged, his expression deeply sincere as he looked to the King. "I've heard her sing on stage before. She was singing something a bit more modern but it was just as impressive. Multi-talented I would say."

The King seemed to ponder Gladiolus' words for a second although it felt like an eternity to Rox as she stood before them all, painfully aware of every eye that was on her.

"Do you know if Ignis has organised any musical entertainment for Noctis' birthday celebrations yet, Gladiolus?"

"Not to my knowledge, no, Your Majesty."

"It may be worth mentioning Miss Venustas' name to him then, if they aren't already acquainted." He turned back to Rox. "If that's alright with you, of course."

Rox couldn't quite believe what was happening and she swallowed hard, suddenly feeling like something was blocking her throat.

"It…it would be an honour, Your Majesty."

Regis smiled once again, leaning on his walking stick as he began to turn around to leave.

"Excellent. Well I won't keep you. I look forward to seeing you again, Miss Venustas."

Rox hastily bowed again with a mumbled 'Your Majesty', not relaxing until she could see the King no more and silence had fallen upon the chamber again. She immediately turned to face Gladiolus as he began to speak.

"Singing at Noct's twentieth, eh? Doesn't get much better than that, darlin'."

So much adrenaline was pumping its way through Rox's veins that her body was trembling slightly and she didn't know whether she wanted to throw her arms around Gladiolus to hug him or to strangle him.

A torrent of accusations were about to burst from her when Gladiolus threw his hands up in warning, his grin widening.

"I can see you're dying to shout at me but perhaps you better save it until we're outside? Your voice kinda carries in this room."

Rox sighed crossly, grumbling to herself as she began to follow Gladiolus.

"Oh really? I hadn't noticed..."

They walked through the Citadel in silence but the minute they began descending the Citadel's steps, Rox finally erupted.

"I can't believe you set me up! You knew the King was in some meeting with his advisors or something next door and you made me sing?! It's a fucking miracle I didn't have a heart attack…You know you might be used to seeing the King everyday but it's kinda a big deal for the rest of us!"

She broke off and took a deep breath, having not paused at all during her rant and turned to see Gladiolus was laughing at her.

"Now that you've got that off your chest," he chuckled as he felt the heat of her glare fall onto him, "let's look at the facts. Ok so I might have set you up a little and perhaps I might have heard from Iggy that he still needed to sort the music for Noct's party but in my defence, if you'd had known the King was in earshot you never would have opened your mouth. And given how incredible you sounded just then, that would have been a damn shame. You can't tell me you haven't dreamt of singing on a big stage in front of an actual audience, not just the drunken regulars at that shitty bar of yours."

"Of course I have…I just didn't imagine in my wildest dreams it would be in front of the royal family!" Rox exclaimed, finally letting herself smile as the reality of what had just happened truly dawned on her. "As much as I wanna be mad with you I can't. You're forgiven but only because this is actually pretty damn insane."

Gladiolus shrugged, rolling his shoulders back and sighing smugly.

"Not only have I just kickstarted your singing career but now I'm gonna buy you breakfast too. You can't deny it Rox, I'm the best."

Rox threw him a weary look.

"How do you carry that ego around all day? Must be exhausting."

"I'm used to it," he replied with a wink. An idea suddenly struck him and he pulled his phone out of his pocket, unlocking the screen and tapping it a few times before holding it out to Rox. "Here, take Iggy's number before I forget. He'll be far more use at organising the party stuff than I will."

Rox took his phone with a nod and pulled out her own, setting about creating a new contact for the Prince's advisor as they walked through Insomnia's sunny streets, heading for the centre.

Gladiolus' phone buzzed in her hand as she was copying Ignis' number over and she instinctively glanced at the notification as it flashed up on the screen. Instead of closing it out of politeness, she found herself staring at the name of the sender, her heart suddenly thumping in her chest and before she knew it she'd opened the entire message and stopped walking, hot, angry tears pricking at her eyes.

Gladiolus glanced to the side to see he was alone and turned around to face her in confusion.

"Sorry Rox, thought you'd be alright typing and walking…"

Rox slowly looked up to meet his eyes, her face taut with fury and hurt.

"Who's Liv?"

Gladiolus' expression suddenly dropped, his dark eyebrows knitting together into a deep frown.

"Just some girl I was talking to a while back but I broke if off with her…Why?"

"Oh really? 'Cause she just texted you asking when, and I quote, 'are you gonna ditch that bit on the side?'." Rox took a deep breath, furiously forcing away the tears that were threatening to come spilling down her cheeks. "She wouldn't be referring to me, would she?"

Gladiolus looked more confused than concerned.

"Rox don't be ridiculous. I don't know why she's sent that, we haven't spoken in weeks…" He gestured urgently for his phone. "Let me see that."

"Sure," Rox spat as she shoved the phone into his outstretched hand. "That way you can let her know that your 'bit on the side' won't be a problem anymore."

"Rox come on…" Gladiolus groaned, trying to catch her arm as she began to storm past him but she swiped his hand away.

"Don't fucking touch me," she snarled and Gladiolus just stared after her in shock, watching until she'd disappeared out of sight before he came to his senses. He looked down at his phone, reading the message that was on the screen.

' _Word on the street is that you've been a bit of a bad boy but you know I like that. Seriously when are you gonna ditch that bit on the side? I know you miss me baby. It's obvious you're only trying to make me jealous by fooling around with her. Come see me later, ok? xxx_ '

He cursed fervently, anger and remorse crashing onto him simultaneously.

Suddenly, he wasn't so hungry anymore.

* * *

Noctis grunted in pain as he was thrown heavily to the floor of the training room once again and instead of leaping up and throwing himself back into the fight as usual, he propped himself painfully onto his elbows and stared at Gladiolus pointedly.

"On your feet," Gladiolus demanded, slinging his greatsword over his shoulder and wiping the sweat from his brow with his other hand. "We're not finished yet."

"Not until you tell me what's going on."

The stern expression that was on Gladiolus' face intensified.

"Nothing's going on," he growled dismissively. "Feet. Now."

The lethal glare that burned down onto Noctis just confirmed his suspicions; something was definitely going on. He sat up fully, pulling up one leg and resting his arm on it, leaning the rest of his weight back onto his other hand.

"The size of my bruises would say different. I usually only get this kinda beating when I've pissed you off or someone else has. You might think you can hide stuff from me but I know you better than anyone, Gladio. Besides, it isn't just me. Iggy and Prompto have noticed something's up too."

Given the fact that Gladiolus had been acting like an enraged behemoth with a thorn in its foot all week, nearly reducing Prompto to tears for merely accidently bumping into him and tripping them both slightly, it had been pretty impossible for them not to notice. Noctis knew better than to antagonise him with accusations, however.

Gladiolus stared down at Noctis, every instinct screaming at him to just drag the Prince to his feet and forcibly continue his weekly combat training. It was his job, his duty as Shield to push all of his own worries and emotions to the side to protect Noctis, sensing when something was troubling him and doing everything in his power to fix it. It seemed rather alien the other way around but Gladiolus knew Noctis as closely as a brother, being able to tell the moment something wasn't right and so it wasn't exactly surprising then that he felt the same.

He was a military man but he was still human and Noctis' next words winded him like he'd been punched in the stomach.

"That girl you met at _Somnus_ …what was her name again?"

Gladiolus' glare darkened; he knew exactly what Noctis was trying to do. The Prince stared pointedly up at Gladiolus, entirely immune to the warning that was churning threateningly in the amber of his Shield's eyes, a look that would have even the most fearless men running for their lives.

"Rox," he grunted, determinedly ignoring the way his stomach tightened at the mere mention of her name. "What about it?"

Noctis shrugged nonchalantly, picking at a loose thread on his t-shirt.

"Nothing really, you just haven't mentioned her name for a while. Figured something must have happened."

Gladiolus could feel his resolve weakening as Noctis expertly dangled the bait in front of him, waiting patiently for him to bite like the skilled angler that he was. With a huff, he acquiesced and vanished his greatsword, dropping to the ground beside Noctis and crossing his long legs, resting his arms upon them.

"I screwed up, Noct."

Noctis didn't meet his eye, his attention still on his fraying clothing.

"How?" he asked coolly.

"It was all going great, apart from the fact she got beat up by her ex but even that kinda worked out…"

He broke off, staring at the space on the floor to the side of him where she had managed to knock him to the ground and they had stolen a fleeting but ardent kiss before she had all but obliterated his composure with her advances. He wrenched his eyes away, glowering at his feet once more. Noctis looked across to him, silently urging him to continue.

"There was this other girl I was seeing a month or so back. She was alright, we had a laugh but things kinda fizzled out as they do. I got busy and we didn't speak for a while. It seemed obvious to me things were over and I thought she felt the same. That was until she texted me last Saturday claiming I'd been trying to make her jealous and asking when I was gonna ditch my 'bit on the side'."

Noctis' eyes widened.

"Shit…I take it Rox saw it?"

Running his fingers through his unruly hair, Gladiolus nodded.

"Yup. She read the damn thing first as I'd given her my phone to take Iggy's number and she stormed off before I could explain."

"Before you could explain that you hadn't technically broken up with this other girl but just not texted her back for a while?" Noctis challenged, watching as Gladiolus' shoulders slumped slightly.

"Exactly why I've screwed up. Rox clearly doesn't believe me that I wasn't seeing her anymore."

Noctis just rolled his eyes; for all Gladiolus' prowess with the ladies he seemed to find himself in ever increasingly more trouble, not that he usually let it bother him.

"Ever think women are more effort than they're worth?"

"All the damn time," Gladiolus scoffed.

A thought suddenly struck Noctis.

"You said Saturday…did she stay with you Friday night?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well then you got what you wanted, right?"

Gladiolus felt something grip his stomach painfully again and he stared solemnly at the floor.

"You make me sound like a real gent, Noct. But no, she wanted to but I just couldn't. Not after what her ex did."

Surprise burst through Noctis.

"Huh. Not like you to turn down a night with a girl. I thought this was supposed to just be a one time thing?"

"Yeah, so did I," Gladiolus sighed, his head snapping towards Noctis as the Prince suddenly groaned.

" _Oh no_ …"

"What?" Gladiolus demanded, his hands instinctively curling up into fists.

"I've seen that look before. You're in trouble. In fact, we're all in trouble unless you sort this out."

"What do you mean…" he began heatedly but Noctis cut him off.

"Message her now and ask if you can talk."

Gladiolus closed his eyes, sighing heavily.

"Believe me, Noct, already tried that. Surprisingly, she ain't answering."

"Well try again. That's an order."

Gladiolus just stared at Noctis for a few seconds, unable to decide if he was annoyed or amused.

"Anything else, _Your Majesty_?" he asked sarcastically and Noctis got to his feet, placing his hands on his hips.

"You bet. Tomorrow night we're going to _Somnus_. If she won't talk to you then I'll have a word. Can't exactly ignore the Prince, can she?"

A low, exasperated sound rumbled in Gladiolus' chest.

"I wouldn't put it past her."

Noctis crossed his arms.

"Phone, now. And then you can get back to beating my ass."

Gladiolus felt a smirk pulling at his lips; despite the fact that Noctis was by far his superior, it amused him when the calm, indifferent Prince bossed him around. Secretly, he knew Noctis loved it but he could just never usually be bothered.

"Fine," he growled, pulling his phone from his pocket. "But you can't say I didn't warn you."

* * *

"You look rough as hell, Rox."

Rox shot Sergio a withering glare as he placed down yet another drink in front of her.

"Jeez, _thanks_ ," she retorted, taking a deep swig and sighing as the potent alcohol hit the back of her throat.

Sergio held his hands up.

"Forgive a guy for making an observation. It's just you have something on your face that's kinda hard to miss."

"Yeah, thanks. Hadn't noticed."

Folding his arms, Sergio stared sternly at Rox from across the bar.

"Has anyone ever told ya not to bite the hand that feeds ya? Those last two drinks were on the house you know." He sighed deeply, coming to lean his arms against the bar's surface. "I know you've probably had this all week Rox but seriously, what happened?"

Rox's scowl finally dissolved and she closed her eyes, dipping her head slightly.

Her week had been nothing short of horrendous.

The bruise on her face had only seemed to worsen with each passing day, turning a disgusting combination of yellow and purple that no amount of makeup could cover. Naturally such a mark brought her all kinds of unwanted attention, particularly at work where she had nowhere to run and hide from all the pointed looks and hushed gossiping that followed her everywhere she went. Of course, the office busybody, Gerrae had rushed over to her and outright demanded to know what had gone on, claiming there had been some very disturbing rumours going around about the Prince's Shield.

"Did he hit you, Rox?" she had asked, her question immediately followed by the creaks of countless chairs as practically the entire office had craned their ears for her answer.

"Don't be ridiculous," Rox had grumbled, feeling her fraying temper rising as Gerrae had proceeded to place her hand on Rox's shoulder and give her a sickly sweet look of painfully obvious fake concern.

"It's ok, you don't have to tell us. Just make sure you tell someone, ok? We're here for you, Rox."

Rox had just sunk down onto her desk after she had watched Gerrae saunter away and settle herself back at her own desk, immediately catching the eyes of several of their eagerly awaiting co-workers and nodding meaningfully.

They were going to believe what they wanted whether she corrected them or not.

She had expected better than that from Sergio, however.

"Can't deny it Rox, I've been worried about you," he continued when she didn't respond. "Heard some pretty fucked up rumours concerning the Prince's Shield saying that he's the one responsible for that mess on your face. Please tell me he wasn't the one who hit you…"

"No one did," Rox muttered with a shrug. "I walked into a wall."

"Rox…" Sergio groaned in frustration. "Come on, we both know that's bullshit."

The alcohol that Rox had drunk seemed to all make its way into her bloodstream at the same time and she sat up, suddenly laughing loudly and slamming her hands down onto the bar.

"Fine. You wanna know? Yeah he hit me alright." She sighed, burying her face in one hand as she took a drink with her other before speaking far quieter. "Right in that stupid little bit of my heart that always decides it's a good idea to trust people."

Sergio looked around anxiously, frowning at Rox.

"Shit Rox, I know you're upset but you gotta watch yelling accusations like that. Rumours are bad enough as it is…"

"No one's listening, Sergio," Rox grumbled. "And you know who hit me."

"You better hope not. I did wonder. So what's loverboy done that's so bad then?"

Rox proceeded to recite the text Gladiolus had received from the woman named 'Liv', knowing every word off by heart since she had played it over and over in her head throughout the week that had passed.

Sergio mulled her words over.

"And has he explained himself?"

"Tried to. Wouldn't stop texting me for three straight days before he got the message that I didn't give a shit and gave up."

"Do you think there's a chance you overreacted? Not that you have in the past," he added teasingly as Rox narrowed her eyes at him.

"I don't have the time or the patience to be messed around by him like all the men in this damned city seem to do. I don't want anything more to do with him and that is that."

Sergio quirked an eyebrow up.

"You sure you mean that?"

Rox was about to berate him for asking such a question when her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out only for her mood to turn even fouler as a message from Gladiolus flashed up on screen.

"Fuck's sake," she swore viciously , immediately slamming her phone face down.

"Speak of the devil?" Sergio asked and Rox nodded, grabbing her drink and draining what was left of it. Sergio gestured wearily to her empty glass. "It's not even seven yet. You're gonna drink me dry tonight, aren't ya?"

Half smiling, half grimacing, Rox pushed the glass towards Sergio.

"You bet."

* * *

The following evening, Noctis and his retinue were gathered in his apartment, enjoying a few drinks and a bit of food before they braced themselves and ventured out into Insomnia's Saturday night crowds. Noctis had told Ignis and Prompto of his plan and, since Gladiolus' text had yet again gone unanswered, the Prince was adamant that he was going to put things straight, a prospect they all very much approved of.

"We gonna head off soon, then?" Gladiolus asked gruffly as he checked the clock on his phone for the fifth time in as many minutes.

"Nervous, big guy?" Noctis teased, crying out as Gladiolus shoved him a little too hard in retaliation.

"No. Just wanna make sure we get seats. Probably gonna be busy."

Although Ignis could tell Gladiolus was clearly on edge, he was nothing if but a diplomat.

"Nerves or not, Gladio is right. It would be wise to think about leaving soon."

Prompto, who had been sat in silence on his phone, a frown sinking deeper and deeper into his face, suddenly looked up at the three men around him.

"Uhhh…I'm not sure that's the best idea."

"What do you mean?" Noctis asked in confusion and Prompto held his phone out which Ignis took and began to study the article that was on screen.

"Ah. Yes that does rather complicate matters."

"What does?" Gladiolus demanded and Ignis flashed him a look as if to brace himself as the four men crowded round Prompto's phone.

Silence fell on the room as they read and one by one they all looked to Gladiolus whose expression had become impossible to read.

"If anyone needs me I'll be down in the training rooms," he mumbled before he stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him, leaving the others to stare at each other in shock.

Meanwhile, Rox had been pacing her tiny apartment for some time, unable to shake the feeling that she had been a massive idiot.

More than normal, anyway.

Now the red mist of rage that had consumed her had gone, she had been left with a huge void that she had not anticipated and Gladiolus' text from the previous night had just exacerbated it. She stared down at the words once more, unable to fight the emotions that they conjured.

' _Rox, I swear that it was over between me and her, at least I thought it was. You were never a bit on the side, you mean far more to me than that. What happened last week proves that, I hope. I'm around tomorrow night if you wanna talk._ '

Her finger hovered over the reply option before her willpower gave in and she began to type a response.

" _Meet you in an hour in that shitty bar I love so much?_ '

She sent it before she could change her mind and then launched herself across her room, collapsing onto her bed with a groan and burying her head with a pillow.

Minutes passed, twenty four to be exact until her phone buzzed twice in quick succession. It had landed somewhere in the folds of her duvet and Rox threw down the book she had forced herself to read to go in search of her phone.

To her surprise, both messages were from Gladiolus and after a few hasty and infuriatingly incorrect attempts at unlocking her phone, Rox pulled up the messages only to feel as if the bed had disappeared from beneath her.

The first simply read:

' _Don't think that's a good idea._ '

Rox stared at it in confusion, her mind trying to comfort her by continuously reassuring her that he probably was just a bit reserved about going to _Somnus_ after all that had happened there and that his second message would contain a different location for them to meet.

As it was, the other message contained a link to an article from one of Insomnia's well-known gossip websites.

Rox's eyes widened, icy panic shooting through her veins and guilt gripping her forcefully as she read the title yet another time, willing what was before her eyes to be some kind of joke.

' _VICTIM OF ATTACK BY PRINCE'S SHIELD CONFIRMS SHOCKING RUMOURS TO BE TRUE.'_

She clutched her chest, suddenly feeling as if she might be sick.

Sergio had been right; someone had been listening and had heard her say exactly what they had been hoping for.

The reality of what she had done hit her with full force and the words on her screen became blurry as her eyes filled with tears.

Gladiolus was never going to talk to her again and quite frankly, she didn't blame him.


	9. Chapter 9

Sinking down despondently onto her pillows, Rox spent the night crying until her head hurt and she had no more tears to give, resorting then to just staring vacantly into the darkness as she tried to come to terms with all that had happened. The dawn came after what felt like an eternity but it brought little solace and as she looked out of her grimy window, her gaze falling upon the Citadel soaring into the sky in the distance, she realised what she had to do.

It didn't matter if she never saw Gladiolus again. All that mattered was that she put right what she had done.

It was a very pragmatic approach, one that she cynically questioned how long would last until her emotions caught up with her. She didn't deserve to be miserable and she knew it but it seemed inevitable, given the awful time that was sure to come in the following days and more likely weeks.

In the two weeks that passed, Rox did everything in her power to wipe her false accusations from the internet. She contacted the gossip website in question, begging them to take down the article and to publish a statement from her instead, condemning the false information that had been released and explaining what had really happened. No matter how many times she pestered them though, she heard no response and so set her attention to the many other websites that also posted articles on various pieces of gossip and interest occurring within Insomnia.

To her relief, one woman answered her pleas and they organised to meet up for an interview, allowing Rox to give her statement on camera. The crew made her nervous, not to mention the actual camera that was on her and capturing her every movement but she buried all her apprehension, focusing instead on the questions being asked.

"So Rox, you're here to tell us that the accusations you allegedly made concerning Gladiolus Amicitia are false, is that correct?"

Rox took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yes, that's right."

"Well, first things first, let's get a little background on you two. Were you romantically involved?"

Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, Rox swallowed hard even though her throat was bone dry.

So much for not feeling nervous.

"I guess…we never managed to go on a date but we were kinda seeing each other…"

"So it was early days, then?" the interviewer offered with a smile.

"Yeah."

"Ok, Rox, well we're all dying to hear what really happened. If it wasn't Mr Amicitia who attacked you, then who did?"

Taking a few seconds to collect herself, Rox launched into the explanation she had been dying to voice for nearly a week, telling of the fateful night that Vanus had approached her threateningly in the street and how Gladiolus had come to her aid, not the other way around. It was tough, but she was determined to tell the entirety of the truth and so she didn't stop there, retelling the night in _Somnus_ where she had been angry over a 'misjudgement' on her part and had thoughtlessly blurted out a sarcastic accusation without any regard to how it might actually have incriminated him.

When she finished, the interviewer sat back in her chair, her eyes wide with intrigue.

"I see. Well, Rox, if Mr Amicitia happens to be watching this, is there anything you would like to say to him?"

Panic lanced through Rox; she'd been totally prepared to lay bare all that she had done wrong to Insomnia and the rest of Lucis if they cared enough but she hadn't considered addressing Gladiolus directly. She cleared her throat, running a shaking hand through her hair and then clasped her hands in front of her, gazing down at them.

"I…umm… well if he was watching, I would want him to know that I am so, _so_ sorry for what I've done and I hope this clears his name."

After a few seconds of silence, the interviewer probed Rox for more.

"Is that all? Surely you want to see him again and try and reconcile things?"

Rox nodded solemnly, looking up at the woman in front of her.

"Of course. But that's not my decision to make."

With that, the interview came naturally to a conclusion and the women thanked each other for their time, the interviewer promising that she would get the footage edited and uploaded as soon as possible.

All Rox had to do in the meantime was ride out the storm that had erupted around her, a feat far easier said than done.

The relentless gossiping at work had been bad enough but inevitably it reached the ear of her boss and he was absolutely furious, to put it mildly. He practically dragged her into his office and yelled at her without drawing breath for a good half an hour about bringing the scandal to the company and how he was going to have to seriously consider whether he could have her name associated with the firm any longer.

Rox had just sat quietly through it all, already numb to everything that was being thrown at her as it appeared her mother had finally caught wind of the situation too and phoned her in her lunch break. Their conversation had begun with her mother in total distress, clearly believing the false rumours that had been circulating only for her worry to turn to horror when Rox explained the truth, fiercely berating her for being so careless and bringing humiliation upon them all. It appeared that she was so disgusted by her daughter's actions that she failed to react to Rox telling her that she had still been attacked, just by a different man. She must have just been too preoccupied by Rox's revelations to notice; the idea that her mother was blatantly ignoring such a fact was too upsetting to even consider.

Her punishment didn't stop there, however.

It seemed that despite everything that had happened, the King was still adamant that she was to sing at the Prince's upcoming birthday celebrations, a prospect that turned her stomach sickeningly. Not only was she likely to have to face Gladiolus but the rest of the Prince's retinue and the Prince himself, all of whom were unlikely to impressed by the trouble she had caused. If the painfully formal text that she had received from Ignis Scientia early one morning summoning her to the Citadel was anything to go by, she was in for a very bad time indeed. She'd got the impression he was a somewhat aloof character even in the best of moods but she was sure it wasn't her imagination that was sensing the coldness in his words.

' _Miss Venustas,_

 _In light of recent events, His Majesty wishes for me to inform you that you are still invited to sing at the Crown Prince's birthday celebrations on August 30th. Please arrange a time ASAP to fit in with both of our schedules so I can show you to the practise rooms and talk you through the suggested repertoire._

 _Regards,_

 _Ignis Scientia_ '

She'd stared at the text and just laughed humourlessly. Her schedule had quickly become very empty after her boss had decided to suspend her for two weeks, a fate that was both a blessing and a curse. With the Prince's birthday barely more than a week away, she was left with no choice but to arrange to meet Ignis the next day, foiling her original plans of lying low in her apartment for as long as necessary.

Walking up the Citadel's steps took every last scrap of Rox's willpower and she almost turned on her heels and ran for her life when she climbed the last few steps and Ignis came into view, his eyebrows pinched into the slightest frown and his arms crossed.

"You're late."

Rox swallowed hard as she felt the hostility of his icy stare.

"I'm sorry, there was traffic…"

Ignis, it seemed, was not in the mood for excuses.

"Hmm. Follow me, Miss Venustas."

She followed him in silence, acutely aware of how different this visit to the Citadel was compared to the last and after what felt like an eternity, Ignis stopped at a pair of thick, mahogany doors and unlocked them, revealing what looked like a music studio.

Despite the agonising tension that surrounded her, Rox couldn't help but gasp in delight as she took in the grand piano in the centre of the room, its glossy black lid erected above a sea of pristine keys just begging to be played. Ignis breezed straight into the room, turning to glare at Rox impatiently as she lingered by the doorway, gazing around in awe. She immediately hurried into the room after him, where Ignis didn't spare any time in delivering her instructions.

"Please use this room to familiarise yourself with the selected repertoire, the sheet music for which has been provided for you." He gestured to the folder that was resting on the piano's stand. "If there are any pieces that you know of and think would complement the set then be sure to inform me promptly so we can discuss their suitability. Now, will you require an accompanist or are you able to play the piano yourself?"

Rox shook her head hastily, nervously wringing her hands.

"No, it's fine. I can play."

Ignis nodded sharply.

"Very well. Do you have any questions?"

Forcing herself to supress the torrent of questions that she was dying to ask regarding a certain Royal Shield, Rox tried to collect her thoughts long enough to consider whether there was anything important she actually needed to know.

"If I want to come and practise here again, will I need to meet you like this every time?"

She watched Ignis' eyes narrow the tiniest fraction; clearly he didn't want to be in her presence any longer than was necessary.

That suited her just fine. If she spent any longer under the cold disdain of his glare then she feared she really would turn to ice.

"I will see to it that you are given access to this room as and when you need it. You may spend as much time as you require here, just please be sure to inform a member of the Crownsguard upon your arrival that you wish to practise. If nothing else, ensure that you at least attend on the eve of the Prince's birthday. The piano will have been moved to the ballroom by then and it would be wise to experience the acoustics before you perform the following night." He glanced down at his wrist, pulling back the sleeve of his shirt ever so slightly to expose his watch. "There are other commitments that I must attend to now. I trust that you will not abuse this opportunity the Crown has presented you with."

Rox winced at the clear accusation behind his words, suddenly unable to hold back her worries any longer. She called out to him urgently as he began to walk away.

"Ignis?"

He turned slowly, his expression betraying nothing.

"In the interest of professionalism, I would advise that we only address each other formally, Miss Venustas."

Clinging to the fraying ends of her nerve, Rox willed herself to stand her ground.

"Fine, whatever. Just please, tell me how Gladio is…"

"I don't think you understood me, Miss Venustas," Ignis cut in firmly. "It would be inappropriate for us to discuss personal matters and I do not wish to have to ask you to refrain from doing so again. Now, you have a lot of work to do. I suggest you get to it."

With that he swept from the room, closing the door behind him and leaving Rox staring after him in shock.

She cursed herself for thinking he was going to even give her the time of day. What had she expected would happen? That Ignis would have greeted her warmly before ushering her up to the room to find Gladiolus was waiting for her, who would have immediately swept her into his arms and told her he forgave her for everything?

Of course not.

Sighing deeply, Rox turned from the door and settled herself before the piano, taking a few deep breaths before tentatively running her fingers along the keys. Rich, beautiful tones burst into the air at her touch and Rox marvelled at the magnificent instrument she now had at her disposal that made a mockery of the little electronic keyboard she worshiped back at home. She'd never played anything even remotely as grand and she dived straight for the folder Ignis had left for her, flicking through the various scores within.

Luckily there were a few songs she already knew, with many that she had a least heard before so she had a rough idea of how they went. Ignis may have been utterly terrifying and brutally passive-aggressive but he certainly had a good eye for music. The pieces were laid back, with enough presence to make for enjoyable listening without overpowering anything else that would be happening on the night.

She pulled out the song that she knew best, figuring it was sensible to warm up with something she was comfortable with and to give her enough time to calm down after the torture that had been conversing with Ignis. Sitting up straight, Rox hovered her fingers over the keys for a moment and then set to work.

No matter how dire the situation between her and Gladiolus was, she couldn't bear to face the King or anyone else for that matter if every one of the pieces before her weren't ingrained on her soul by the night of the Prince's birthday.

She attended the Citadel twice more, managing each time to get to and from the music room without bumping into anyone she knew, much to her relief, although conflicting disappointment scratched away under her skin. It had been several days since her interview had been posted and a small but insistent part of her brain had hoped that Gladiolus might have seen it and at least let her know he had, after all, everyone else she knew was. No one interrupted her practise, however, or even seemed to acknowledge that she was there.

The day before the Prince's birthday soon arrived and she hurried to the Citadel for a final time after being sent an extremely brief message from Ignis which informed her of when she could come and practise, given that the other performers needed time to run through their music and the ballroom would be chaotic for the majority of the day as it was transformed for the party. He'd told her to arrive either first thing in the morning or early evening and Rox opted for the later option, figuring that any preparations would be finished for the day and she could continue to maintain her low profile.

She had begun to worry as she walked about finding her way to the ballroom that Ignis had spoken of only to be approached by a member of the Crownsguard as soon as she reached the top of the steps and immediately escorted to where she needed to be. The ballroom, it turned out, was right at the top of the Citadel and Rox couldn't help but gasp as the set of huge, gilded double doors were opened before her, revealing a room of staggering scale and beauty. The Citadel's theme of dark, sultry marble with bright glass accents was continued here, coupled with several interflowing water features that were tastefully illuminated, causing the sparkling water that tumbled from them to cast ethereal and ambient auras across the room which were reflected in the glorious chandeliers that glittered above from the lofty, ornately painted ceiling, resembling the night sky and the intricacy of the cosmos.

The most spectacular feature of the room, however, was perhaps the simplest.

The far wall curved round and was formed entirely of glass and such, the whole of Insomnia created the most breath-taking backdrop, which Rox was sure would only become more incredible once night fell and the vista was brought to life by the twinkling lights of the city. A raised platform was nestled between the edges of the curved walls and on it sat the piano that Rox was to play the following evening.

The magnitude of what she was actually going to have to do suddenly hit her.

It would have been nerve-wracking enough performing on such a stage in front of none other than the royal family but with everything with Gladiolus added on top, who was undoubtedly going to be in attendance, the prospect was beyond terrifying.

It was, however, far too late to be having second thoughts.

Settling herself at the piano, Rox arranged her scores and began to play. Naturally the acoustics were just as magnificent as the room, with the added help from several well-placed, inconspicuous microphones and Rox soon lost herself to the music, only becoming aware that the sun had begun to set, washing over the city in a stunning sea of fiery hues, once the final note of her repertoire had faded to silence.

She was as ready as she was ever going to be but she felt a reluctance to leave, her fingers and voice still itching for more. Glancing around to ensure that she was still alone, she began to play once again, closing her eyes and drifting away as she filled the room with a sombre, painfully beautiful melody of her own. She'd never intended the piece to have lyrics; the solitary piano was haunting and moving by itself but all her unspoken emotions that had been growing more and more unbearable by the day suddenly found their outlet and her voice joined the lament, verses and stanzas forming with ease as she was finally able to express the true extent of her remorse.

She was so caught up in the music that she failed to notice the King's presence for the second time and it was only when she'd sat back, her shoulders slumping as she sighed deeply, did he make himself known.

"You sing with such passion, it really is a joy to listen."

Rox jumped in shock at the sound of his deep voice and then stared in horror at the King for a few moments before she began to scramble to her feet in panic.

"Your Majesty...I..."

Regis held his hand up, pushing himself off the pillar he had been leaning against and walking towards her.

"I didn't mean to alarm you. Please, be at ease. I only came to see how the preparations for tomorrow were coming along and by the looks of it, Ignis has outdone himself as usual."

Rox followed the King's gaze around the room, realising that the many tables dotted around the room and the flowers that dripped from countless vases and stands were not a usual feature. With the setting of the sun, elegant strings of soft, white lights had also come to life out on the terrace that sat beyond the wall of windows, for when the celebrations inevitably spilled out into the cool, refreshing air of the evening.

Frozen in an awkward position somewhere between standing and sitting, Rox begged her mind to think of something to say as not to appear rude and more importantly, to find a way to excuse herself.

The King however, spared her the trauma.

"That song you were playing…it was one of your own, wasn't it? I can't imagine it was something that Ignis had picked out for you to play."

Rox suddenly wasn't sure if his questioning was any better than the silence she had been panicking about moments before.

"It's just something I was toying around with…it's nothing really, Your Majesty."

Regis didn't look like he believed her but he didn't press her any further.

"I see. Well I won't keep you for much longer but I would like to take this opportunity to ask you about one matter that has caught my attention."

Rox felt dread knot itself in the pit of her stomach and she braced herself for what he was undeniably going to ask her about. The King may have seemed calm but that certainly didn't mean he was.

"I don't often get involved with the trivial gossip that filters through the city but even some things cannot pass me by, Miss Venustas. I have since watched your interview and I just wanted you to know that I never suspected Gladiolus or yourself for a moment. The media is cruel and enjoys profiting from twisting people's words, mine included."

The searing apprehension that had been bubbling away under Rox's skin turned to shock; she had not anticipated the King being so understanding, let alone sympathising with her.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am for any trouble caused," she urged remorsefully. "I sincerely hope my foolish actions haven't damaged the Crown's reputation."

Regis waved off her worries dismissively.

"Nonsense. This story will be forgotten by next week when a new scandal inevitably comes on the scene." He paused briefly, something intensifying in the depths of his eyes as he gazed at Rox. "Hearts aren't quite so easily mended, however. They take a little more time but that isn't to say they cannot be."

Rox gulped, the weight of his words crushing her own heart which was quickly followed by the bizarre realisation that the King of Lucis was seemingly giving her relationship advice. Shoving her bewilderment aside, she nodded.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"You're welcome. Now, I shan't disturb you any longer. Feel free to stay and practise for as long as you need. I look forward to hearing you tomorrow, Miss Venustas."

With that he bade Rox goodnight which she hastily reciprocated and she only allowed herself to sink back down onto the piano's stool once the ballroom's huge doors had closed and she was alone once more, suddenly wanting to be as far away from the Citadel as she could manage, at least until she was expected to return the following day.

Rox waited anxiously until she had deemed a suitable length of time had passed before she hurried from the room and went in search of a member of the Crownsguard to inform them that she wished to leave who dutifully escorted her down to the Citadel's entrance and ensured she had transport home.

The journey passed in a blur and it wasn't until Rox had locked the door to her apartment and collapsed onto her bed did she let out a fervent sigh of relief. She got under the covers, staring out into the darkness and despite needing a good night's sleep for what lay in store the next day, she knew she wasn't to be so fortunate.

* * *

Rox couldn't remember the last time she had felt as nervous as she did staring at herself in the huge mirror that took up an entire wall in one of the Citadel's many extravagant bathrooms. The Prince's celebrations were well underway but she wasn't scheduled to perform until 9pm and although she was welcome to mingle with the other guests until then, the very thought had made her stomach twist sickeningly and her skin become clammy with icy panic.

Instead, she had ran to the bathroom as soon as she had arrived, claiming to want to touch up her makeup and had been hiding there ever since, watching as the time before she was to be on stage ticked relentlessly away. She looked herself over once again, fiercely telling herself for what felt like the hundredth time that cowering away in the bathroom was not only pathetic, but childish, not that her body seemed to agree.

She was wearing the only ballgown she owned, a floor length dress of deep, rich navy that clung to her upper body and gathered at her waist before tumbling to the floor in a sea of vivid colour. The bodice was adorned with several tiny crystals that sat within intricate lace patterns and the material gathered behind her neck before plunging away to the base of her back. She'd attempted to fix her hair up in an elegant bun but it had protested no matter how much hairspray she had used and she concluded resignedly that it was too late to do anything about the rebellious curls that had begun to escape.

With a deep sigh, she stared herself firmly in the eye, gathering her resolve before she flung open the bathroom door and made for the party.

The ballroom was bustling with activity and noise, the rumble of many different conversations mingling with the music from the singer who had been scheduled to perform before Rox. She weaved her way through the crowds who were laughing and dining off the dainty canapés that were covering the many tables, hoping to have time to make it to the bar and have a quick drink to settle her nerves before it was her turn to entertain what appeared to be the entirety of Insomnia's VIPs.

Glancing around, Rox immediately caught sight of the Prince who seemed totally bored by the whole thing as he sat tapping away lethargically on his phone. Beside him was the blonde man she seemed to remember was called Prompto. He on the other hand looked in total awe but also slightly nervous, as if he felt very much out of place in such a grand setting.

She couldn't blame him; she felt exactly the same.

Despite knowing she shouldn't for the sake of her already fried nerves, her eyes continued to flow around the room and inevitably she saw Ignis, his arms crossed and a frown set into his forehead as he conversed with the very man that Rox had been dreading to see.

Gladiolus was stood against a far wall, his arms by his sides and his back straight. Judging by his regimented stance and the fact that he was wearing his Crownsguard uniform, it seemed as if he was on duty for the night, a fact that puzzled Rox. Surely it wouldn't have been unreasonable for him to ask to have the night off to enjoy the party with Noctis? He may have been the Prince's Shield but he was also one of his closes friends, or that was the impression she had got anyway.

And then it struck her.

Gladiolus would have been well aware that she was to be present and so perhaps in order to give him a legitimate excuse to stay out of the way and more importantly, avoid her, he had opted to stand guard for the evening.

The revelation tore through her, ripping open the wounds that were barely healing as it was but she concluded solemnly that she couldn't exactly blame him and had she been in his position, she likely would have done just the same.

Not that it made her feel any better.

Her heart almost stopped when his eyes locked with hers.

He couldn't have stared at her for more than a few seconds but it felt like a lifetime before he looked the other way, his eyes continuing their patrol of the room as if he had seen nothing more than just another guest.

Mercifully she didn't get chance to dwell on it for she was suddenly accosted by a rather stressed looking woman who had an earpiece and a microphone secured to her face.

"Honestly, where have you _been_?" she exclaimed, half dragging Rox towards the stage. "I thought we were gonna have to send out a search party…"

"Sorry I…I was in the bathroom," Rox admitted sheepishly, quailing under the intensity of the woman's ire as she looked to Rox in exasperation.

"For an entire hour?" A voice crackled in her earpiece, diverting her attention and she pressed it against her ear, nodding as she listened. "Yeah panic over, I got her. Talk about cutting it fine…" Turning back to Rox, who wanted nothing more than to run back to the very same bathroom and continue to hide, she thrust the folder of music Rox had been practising with into her hands. "You got five minutes. I suggest you collect yourself. No offence but you look like you're about to pass out."

"Is it any wonder…" Rox growled under her breath as the woman marched away but apprehension suddenly seized her as the music that had been playing came to an end and the man who had been singing thanked the audience for listening before cracking a joke and making the whole room burst into laughter.

Rox hoped she wasn't expected to say anything once she got up on stage; she wasn't even sure she was going to be able to sing but, much to her relief, a man who also had an earpiece replaced the performer on stage and began to speak into a handheld microphone.

"And next this evening for your entertainment may I present Miss Ferox Venustas, a singer who was recommended by His Majesty himself. I'm sure therefore that we can expect great things." The master of ceremonies turned to Rox, gesturing to the piano behind him. "The floor's yours, Miss."

Forcing herself not to look anywhere but the piano and her music, Rox settled herself on the stool and arranged her scores, bowing her head slightly to the audience as their polite applause faded and an expectant silence fell upon the room.

Her first few notes were a little shaky but soon she relaxed into the song and as always, let the music transport her somewhere else, far away where her troubles couldn't reach her. She was brought back to reality briefly each time a song ended and the room paused their conversations to clap their appreciation but for the most part she could have almost forgotten she was in the Citadel performing for the royal family and surprisingly, found she was rather enjoying herself.

That immediately changed however as she rose to take a gracious bow and saw the King stood beside the master of ceremonies, whispering something into his ear before the man spoke once more into his microphone.

"That was wonderful, thank you. Before you leave the stage, however, the King has a few words he would like to say."

Rox prayed the abject terror that exploded inside her didn't show on her face and a rush of heat burst over her skin as a low rumble of intrigue rippled through the room, the party's guests heatedly speculating just what the King could possibly want to say, especially to the woman who had been at the heart of the recent scandal that had swept through the city.

Regis took the microphone, smiling warmly up at Rox.

"You have outdone yourself, Miss Venustas, as I had no doubts that you would. There is one more song I would ask you to sing for us though. I greatly enjoyed listening to that original piece of yours and it would be a shame not to play it in front of a proper audience. Would you mind, Miss Venustas?"

Rox stared at the King in barely contained panic while he just continued to smile, the both of them knowing that Rox had no choice but to accept. Swallowing hard, she shook her head and forced herself to smile.

"Of course not, Your Majesty. It would be my pleasure. I apologise if this kinda ruins the mood, though."

She walked woodenly back to the piano, cursing herself for ever thinking it was a good idea to put the mess of her current emotions to music and more importantly, to sing it anywhere other than the safety of her own apartment.

It was rather too late, however, to do anything else but indulge the King's wishes.

The first few notes drifted through the air, slow and sombre, a stark contrast to the easy, relaxed sounds that she had filled the room with before. For the briefest of moments, Rox glanced up to see that Gladiolus was staring at her, his jaw clenched and expression unreadable but she quickly shut her eyes, focusing instead on the words and melody that flowed from her lips.

' _They say it's darkest before the dawn_

 _But monsters have come out to play._

 _And just the fading promise of the sun_

 _Can't banish the daemons away._

 _Regret, my old friend,_

 _I know you'll stay the night_

 _And remind me of all I've done_

 _By turning from the light._

 _You'll stand by me, you always have_

 _And forever, I will be_

 _With you till I find a way_

 _To finally set you free.'_

The song began to gather pace and Rox felt herself getting caught up with it, playing a sweet but haunting interlude before she launched into the next verse.

 _'Oh be it that I could turn back time_

 _There is so much I would do_

 _But the night is long, the dawn is lost_

 _And nothing can start anew._

 _Regret, my old friend,_

 _You're still with me, I know,_

 _And no matter how I cry or I beg_

 _Just words can't make you go._

 _You'll stand by me, you always have_

 _And forever, I will be_

 _With you till I find a way_

 _To finally set you free.'_

She'd been holding back, refusing to abandon herself fully to the song but she gave in, belting the notes with all she had as she got swept away by the power of her own emotions.

 _I was a fool for thinking I wouldn't care_

 _That I could just walk away._

 _Or for thinking that anything I do_

 _Could ever erase that day._

 _But I'm a fool most of all for hurting_

 _The one who showed me when_

 _Even in the depths of the darkest night_

 _The sun can rise again._ '

Shifting the piano's accompaniment up an octave, she let her voice drop away so her words were no more than fervent, heart-breaking whispers for a few lines and the chilling echoes of her lament hung in the air for a few moments before she crashed down on the keys and the song built to its climax.

' _Regret, my old friend,_

 _Perhaps it's best that you're near_

 _For never knowing just what I've lost_

 _Is what I truly fear._

 _So stand by me, you always have_

 _And forever, I will be_

 _With you till I find a way_

 _To finally set you free._

 _And I promise, I'll find a way_

 _To finally set you free._ '

Rox sat back feeling breathless, her hands trembling and several agonising seconds of silence passed as the audience stared at her in shock before launching into the loudest applause they had given all night. She pushed herself to her feet and took a shaky bow, glancing over to her right only for everything around her to just fall away as she locked eyes with Gladiolus once more.

His eyes were wide, their amber burning and the stern expression that had tensed his face before was entirely gone, replaced by something indescribable that twisted Rox's stomach and made her heart fly into overdrive.

She was pulled back to reality, however as the cheers and sounds of clapping began to die away and she suddenly realised she was still stood on stage with the eyes of the whole room on her. Dipping her head once more, she swiftly walked to the edge and stepped down, hoping to be able to slip away to the bathroom that had become some sort of strange sanctuary.

It appeared the audience had been rather more taken with her music than she had anticipated and she could get no more than a few steps before a wave of people crashed onto her, all eager to express their delight in her work. It was all she had ever wanted as a singer and Rox willed herself to enjoy their praise but she was so overwhelmed by all that had happened that even when a man introduced himself as the director of a music label she knew very well and handed her his card, she thanked him instinctively, the gravity of the simple action failing to dawn on her in that instant.

No matter how she looked for Gladiolus through the chaos, she couldn't even catch a glimpse of him, although her gaze did fall upon the King for a moment, who just lowered his head slightly, almost as if he was taking a bow himself.

Finally, the flow of people came to a stop and Rox managed to sneak away, finding solace in the peace of the room she had been lead to when she arrived and where she had left her bags. She sank into a chair and pulled out her phone, only for her breath to catch in her throat as she saw a notification flash up on the screen from none other than Gladiolus.

' _Rooftop, 5 mins_ '

She swore as she looked at the time that the message had come through; four minutes had already passed giving her no time at all to compose herself or check that she looked even remotely presentable. Throwing herself to her feet, she hurried out of the door, only to be struck with the realisation that she had presumed the floor she was on was as high as the Citadel went and that she had no clue how to get to the roof. Her worries were quickly answered though as she caught sight of a flight of stairs leading off to the right and, gathering the material of her dress, she began to climb.

As she pushed open the door at the top, the cool, soothing air of the evening enveloped her and Rox stepped out onto the roof, gazing momentarily at the twinkling lights of the city stretching out below before she found Gladiolus.

He had his back to her and Rox took a second to catch her breath, studying the intricate silver lines of the Lucian crest that swirled across the expanse of his back in a futile attempt to calm herself before she made her presence known.

"You wanted to see me?"

Rox cringed; her voice had wobbled uncontrollably and her whole body began to shake as Gladiolus turned to face her. He walked slowly up to her, only meeting her eyes at the last moment and Rox felt her own fill with tears as she stared up at him, the weight of all that had come to pass between them bearing agonisingly down upon her.

"Gladio…I…I'm so sorr…"

Rox couldn't finish her apology as Gladiolus placed his hand either side of her face and brought her lips to his in a bruising, ardent kiss. She just stood there, wanting nothing more than to reach up and throw her arms around him but she was too taken aback to do more than simply survive.

Eventually he broke away but the evidence of his kiss still burned fiercely across her face and Rox had to remind herself how to breathe as she tried to regain her senses.

Gladiolus sighed deeply and lowered his hands, his gaze softening slightly but somehow remaining just as intense.

"I know you are. And I am too."

"You have nothing to apologise for…"

"I do," Gladiolus insisted firmly, running his fingers through his dark hair. "I was so angry that you were judging me before you had all the facts that I ended up doing the exact same thing. I should have known that article was bullshit. There was no way you would have accused me of hitting you and I knew that."

Rox looked to her feet in shame.

"Did you see my interview?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Well you know I still technically said it then."

Gladiolus' face suddenly filled her vision as he gently tilted her head up to look at him.

"Ok I will admit you say some pretty dumb shit when you've had a drink. But you didn't mean it and that's all that matters."

"It was still stupid and careless and…"

She was silenced once again with a kiss, this one considerably more tender as one of Gladiolus' hands found the back of her neck while the other settled at the base of her back and she finally threw her arms around him, refusing to let go even when the kiss came to an end.

"I think I'll live," he said with a crooked smile which faded as he sighed once again. "How did things end up like this between us, Rox? It seems so long ago since we sang together on that stage and you turned out to be the biggest tease I've ever met. You made one hell of a mistake if you thought that was gonna put me off."

Rox scoffed, shaking her head.

"I wanted to teach you a lesson but I guess even at that point I was in too deep. Perhaps I should have just kissed you that night we met. That way none of this would have happened."

"I doubt it, disaster seems to follow you around, darlin'."

"You got that right," she chuckled watching as something playful flashed across Gladiolus' eyes and he grinned at her.

"So tell me, how is it that I showed you that 'the sun can rise again'?"

Rox rolled her eyes as he quoted her lyrics.

"I wondered when you were going to bring that up. Who says I was singing about you?"

Gladiolus chuckled darkly, his voice dropping even deeper than usual.

"It better not have been about anyone else, Rox."

He suddenly frowned as he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he pulled it out, noticing he had three message from Ignis which sequentially became more and more irate.

"Shit," he grumbled, tucking his phone away once more. "Looks like we're needed back downstairs. They're about to cut the cake and sing 'happy birthday' to Noct who'll hate every second of it probably. I guess we better be there to make sure everyone stays in tune, eh?"

They slipped back into the ballroom just as the crowds began to sing and sure enough Noctis was stood by a huge cake looking deeply awkward and displeased about the whole affair. As the song finished, he begrudgingly blew out his candles and endured the cheers and applause that followed before dutifully cutting the cake and fleeing with a piece as quickly as he could.

Rox found herself able to actually enjoy the party after that. Her and Gladiolus were expected to mingle but they made a quick trip to the bar first as Gladiolus had since finished his shift and was permitted to participate in the remainder of the celebrations. Once they had their drinks they began working their way through the crowds towards where Noctis was sat with Prompto and Ignis only for Gladiolus' father, Clarus Amicitia, to call him over and leave Rox stood with the three men.

"Happy birthday, Prince Noctis," she offered with a smile, suddenly feeling uncomfortable again and she fiddled nervously with the glass in her hand.

"Thanks," Noctis replied with a sigh. "Sorry if my dad kinda put you on the spot before…"

"Oh no, it's fine," she urged, realising she wasn't even lying to be polite. She may have wanted the ground to swallow her in the moment she had been on stage but somehow, it had all worked out.

Prompto jerked his thumb in Gladiolus' direction, hastily swallowing his latest mouthful of cake.

"Gotta say, that was a pretty cool way to make it up to the big guy."

"Indeed. That was quite some apology, Miss Venustas," Ignis agreed, his pensive gaze washing over her which, Rox noted with relief, was very much devoid of the blistering hostility that it had held the last time they had met.

Noctis finished the last piece of his cake and reclined back against an onyx marble pillar, folding his arms against his chest.

"So you and Gladio made up, then?"

Rox felt her heart quicken slightly as three pairs of expectant eyes landed on her. At best she'd hoped that the Prince and his friends would have acknowledged her apology and at best pardoned her from the mess she'd caused. What she hadn't anticipated, however, was for them to be even remotely hopeful that her and Gladiolus had patched things up and she suddenly wondered what he must have said to them about her, her heart flying even faster at the thought.

"I think so," she replied tentatively, looking round for Gladiolus only to catch his eye from across the room and feel a rush of heat erupt under his skin as he threw a wink at her, his eyes crinkling at the side as he smiled.

She'd almost forgotten just how exhausting and uncontrollable the effect he had on her was.

"I'd say," Prompto remarked, his eyes flicking back from Gladiolus to Rox. "You're blushing!"

Embarrassment flooded in to join the heat in Rox's cheeks, likely only exacerbating the problem that had caught the attention of the three men before her.

"I don't blush…"

"It is likely to be the heat. It is rather hot in here," Ignis commented coolly, too much of a gentleman to voice the amusement that was swirling in the depths of his green eyes.

Inwardly thanking Ignis for his chivalry, Rox stared down at her empty glass in relief, finding a reason to excuse herself.

"Yeah, I'll just go and get another drink," she mumbled before hastily turning on her heels and making for the bar.

The three men watched her slip away into the crowds.

"So, how do you reckon His Majesty knew of that song?" Prompto asked curiously once she was out of earshot. "You think Rox asked him if she could play it?"

Noctis just shook his head.

"Nahh, doubt it. She looked genuinely terrified the moment he suggested it. That can't have been planned."

"Quite," Ignis mused. "And she performed with such fervency, likely borne out of the spontaneity of the moment. The effect wouldn't have had anywhere near as much impact had it been rehearsed."

"Well I just hope things get back to normal," Noctis sighed as he pulled out his phone and began tapping away on the screen. "It's been weird seeing Gladio so downbeat."

Prompto nodded in earnest.

"Yeah, he's been very not 'Gladio'. Never thought I'd say this but I've kinda missed him."

"I agree," Ignis added, gazing round to watch Gladiolus who despite being engaged in a conversation with his father, kept diverting his eyes towards the bar where Rox was. "Perhaps we should all learn a lesson from this and be very careful what we wish for."

Rox slowly worked her way round the room, chatting politely with group after group of people she had no clue who they were but the guests seemed proficient in conversing and networking at such events, putting her at ease and thankfully, leading the conversations.

Her and Gladiolus often crossed paths but were always caught up in debates within their respective groups and could do little more than throw looks at each other as they passed. Occasionally Rox would feel a single finger trail across the back of her neck as his voice would rumble in her ear for the briefest of moments, divulging some outrageous facts about the company that she was in that made talking to them suddenly incredibly difficult. His fleeting touches became bolder as the evening progressed, his hand slowly making its way down the exposed skin of her back until it slipped lower than her back altogether and Rox couldn't help but whip round in a mixture of shock and amusement, watching as Gladiolus strode smugly away and grinned at her wolfishly from his new position.

She had a feeling he was punishing her to some extent, given how expertly timed and restrained his advances were but she wasn't complaining, even if it did eventually become too much and she fled out onto the terrace in search of fresh air and some space to try and collect herself.

The evening air was cool and pleasant and Rox leant against one of the tall tables scattered around the terrace, watching couples sway to the music that was being played by a band at the far end. She'd enjoyed their jazzy, upbeat songs all night but as the celebrations began winding down, they had opted for slower, romantic pieces that called lovers onto the balcony to dance in each other's arms as the rest of the city slumbered below.

Rox sensed movement beside her and turned to see Gladiolus, the soft, white lights that hung above them glittering in his eyes. He crossed his left hand over his chest and bowed slightly, holding out his right hand towards her.

"May I have the honour of this dance?"

Laughing, Rox glared at him in despair.

"I can't dance."

Gladiolus just grinned as he straightened back up.

"Good. Neither can I."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the centre of the makeshift dancefloor, where he placed his other hand on the small of her back and pulled her close to him. Rox let her free hand settle on his chest as they began to sway, the relaxed music demanding very little from them.

Rox thought about ridiculing him for how cliché it all was but the words died on her tongue; the intimacy of the moment and the look in his eyes as he gazed down at her was something she was sure would stay with her for a very long time.

"Not sure I've mentioned how beautiful you look tonight," Gladiolus murmured, smiling as his eyes washed over her. "Gotta say, that dress is something else, darlin'."

Rox permitted her own gaze to flow over the black leather and gold accents of his Crownsguard uniform and she shrugged.

"You don't look too bad yourself."

Gladiolus chuckled, the noise vibrating across the proximity of their bodies.

"Thought you'd approve." Rox suddenly sighed deeply and he let go of her hand, cupping her cheek instead. "Something wrong?"

Rox berated herself for being incapable of just enjoying the moment for what it was but doubt still swirled in her mind.

"I guess I just never expected you to even think about taking me back. Hell, we were never together in the first place…"

Gladiolus sighed himself, the noise rumbling in his chest.

"I meant it when I said it the night we met and I mean it even more now. There's just something about you, Rox and yeah you're a damn pain in the ass but I don't mind. Someone needs to keep my ego in check."

Emotion swelled in Rox's chest as Gladiolus bent down as if to kiss her but her attention was suddenly diverted as several flashes of cameras lit up the terrace. Pictures had been taken all night but she had a feeling the timing was not a coincidence.

"I think people are watching…" she whispered but Gladiolus just cupped the back of her neck, his thumb stroking her cheekbone.

"Let them. This'll make for a far better story than our last."

With that he pulled her lips to his and kissed her once again, only breaking away as both of their restraints began to wear thin.

"Steady darlin'," he warned playfully, "we don't want to give people _too_ much to gossip about."

They wandered over to the edge of the balcony where they stood entwined in an embrace, looking out across the night-time city.

"I am gonna take you on a date if it kills me," Gladiolus said after they had stood for a few minutes in contented silence.

Rox nodded her head towards the picturesque vista spreading out before them.

"Well, we got the view at least," she said, referencing the conversation they had had the first night they had met.

"Hmm, I guess it's alright," he countered with a wink and they stayed like that for a little longer until they felt it was time to re-join Noctis and the others for the remainder of the celebrations which seemed due to come to a close.

They chatted and laughed together and soon Noctis finally decided he could stay awake no longer. With a few words of thanks from the King, he bade everyone goodnight and the ballroom gradually emptied until only those that were staying at the Citadel for the night remained.

Gladiolus, whose hand had not moved from Rox's waist since they had returned to the main party, turned to look at her as the room grew quiet.

"Fancy a nightcap?"

An explosion of butterflies erupted in Rox's stomach as she read the clear intent smouldering in the amber of his eyes.

"Sure."

They hurried through the Citadel's corridors in silence and once they were in Gladiolus' apartment, he pulled off his boots and kissed her swiftly before making for the kitchen to presumably get some glasses. Rox slipped off her heels and made for the centre of the room, her heart suddenly pounding.

The alcohol she'd drunk and the potent emotions that had been building ever since they had met and had all but consumed her that evening came together in a heady cocktail that emboldened her and banished away any doubts that had being plaguing her.

As Gladiolus emerged from the kitchen, glasses and cherished bottle of bourbon in hand, he arched an eyebrow as he felt the heat of the intensity of Rox's gaze.

Her eyes wide, she wordlessly pulled at the navy material that was tied behind her neck. The entire dress cascaded to the floor, slipping from her skin like water and pooling at her feet, leaving nothing more than a few slips of lace to cover her modesty.

Gladiolus couldn't help but drink in every inch and curve of her exposed body and his chest swelled as he took one, long breath, placing the things in his hands on one of the shelves beside him.

"On second thoughts, the whisky can wait."

He threw himself across the room and she stepped out of her dress just as he swept her into his arms and kissed her breathless, throwing her around the room until they finally made it to his bed. She laid waste to his own clothes and he returned the favour with her hair, causing the disobedient curls to finally escape and come spilling down the pale skin of her back.

It was everything Rox could have possibly imagined and more and once they had satisfied their searing, desperate need for the other, they caught their breath for a short while only to find that they were not sated just yet. The second time was far gentler and deeply intimate and once they were both spent, Rox lay nestled in Gladiolus' arms, floating away on a little cloud of bliss as he held her tightly and softly kissed the top of her head.

And for the first time in more nights than she could bear to count, she fell into a deep, contented sleep, knowing that the daemons that had been haunting her would finally disappear with the dawn.


	10. Chapter 10

Sergio looked between Rox and the envelope she had thrown down onto the bar in front of him, arching an eyebrow as his gaze finally settled on the smug smile spreading across her face.

"The hell's this?"

Rox just shrugged, her smile widening.

"Why don't you open it and tell me?"

Curiosity quickly got the better of Sergio and he grabbed the envelope, his forehead pulling into a frown as he ripped it open and saw a cheque nestled within with his name on it. His jaw almost hit the ground when he saw the amount it was worth, the numbers written in Rox's handwriting with her signature just below.

"Fuck me sideways Rox…seriously, what is this?"

"The start of your retirement fund," Rox replied, chuckling as Sergio just stared at her, words seemingly beyond him for a few moments which was a very rare occurrence indeed. "And consider it repayment for all the drinks I've had on the house over the years. Not to mention the hours of whining you've had to put up with, although I'm not sure even the King has enough money to pay for that…"

"Rox you fool, I was joking…"

"Yeah, well I'm not," she said firmly, pushing the envelope back towards Sergio as he tried to thrust it into her hands. "If I remember correctly, you said you wanted to 'sell this dump and retire somewhere warm'. Well, now you can, so long as you don't drink it."

Running his hand through his hair, Sergio sighed deeply.

"Rox…I…thank you." He turned to look at Gladiolus who was stood next to Rox, his arm wrapped around her waist. "Any chance you could fall out with me and get me to sing in front of the King about it? Seems that shit pays well. _Very_ well," he added as he glanced at the cheque again before stuffing it in his pocket.

Gladiolus' loud laugh boomed through the empty bar and Rox scowled playfully at him.

"Hands off, he's mine."

Throwing his hands up in mock surrender, Sergio watched as Gladiolus grinned, something smouldering in his eyes as he clearly enjoyed the possessive nature of Rox's albeit light-hearted threat.

"You heard the lady. Seems I'm taken."

Sergio gave himself a mental pat on the back. The kids were a great match and he was only a pair of wings and a bow and arrow away from being Cupid himself.

"I wouldn't dare, I heard you're capable of flooring even the most elite warriors," he teased, catching the loaded glance that Rox and Gladiolus exchanged and he noisily cleared his throat to snap them out of whatever likely sordid memory they were reliving. "I hope you're gonna let me pay you for tonight, Rox."

"Sure, although I'm only taking payments in liquid form tonight."

"Rox," Sergio warned although it came out in more of a laugh, "drinks were on the house tonight anyway. I'm talking about actual payment for the fact that you're, you know kinda a big deal now. It's not just karaoke anymore although feel free to delve into that later when the entertainment goes to shit as usual."

Rox just shook her head.

"Nope, no chance. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and do a sound check. I expect the first instalment of my payment to be waiting for me when I get back."

With that she sauntered away, making for the stage where several people were setting up for her performance later that evening. The men watched her go and then turned back to look at the other.

"Women…" Sergio grumbled in a mixture of amusement and exasperation and Gladiolus nodded in earnest, although there was discernible fondness in his eyes.

"Tell me about it."

Rox's life had changed dramatically since the night she had sung at the Prince's birthday. Her and Gladiolus had made up, the glorious process of which had almost tempted her to fall out with him again just so she could relive it, and they had been officially dating for a whole month although they'd been so busy it had flown by in a heartbeat.

The Prince's celebrations had been a bit of a blur for her but when Rox found the music producer's card in her bag along with a written message on the back asking her to give him a call when she was free, the gravity of the gesture suddenly hit her.

A music producer had heard her sing and had liked it enough to give her his card. The opportunities this opened up were, well, rather staggering.

She'd phoned him right there and then, still yet to leave Gladiolus' apartment and they had both listened in barely contained excitement as the man had expressed his interest in Rox and wanted to arrange a meeting so they could discuss things further. Rox had been utterly euphoric, Gladiolus bursting with pride and he had proceeded to congratulate her in a manner not dissimilar to the way they had made up the previous night.

Perhaps she wouldn't need to fall out with him again after all.

Things had happened quickly after that. With a contract soon signed, she strode proudly into the crowded office she had spent the last three years in, ignoring the shouts of her name and made directly for her boss's office. Taking a moment to enjoy the look of shock on his face, she informed him she was resigning and had no intention of working her notice before turning on her heels and leaving without a backward glance.

Her musical apology had gone viral, something which pleased and mortified Rox in equal measures and when it was suggested to her that she start off with a low-key performance to ease her into things, there was only one place she was going to go. Naturally Sergio had agreed without a second thought and the modest audience they had both hoped for was entirely surpassed, _Somnus_ pretty much packed to capacity by the time she was ready to perform.

Gladiolus bid her good luck, kissing her briefly before squeezing through the crowds to join Noctis and the rest of his retinue who had come along to watch. Taking a deep breath to try and settle her apprehension, Rox climbed onto stage as Sergio began to introduce her.

"Alright you ugly lot, listen up. For your entertainment tonight we have none other than the woman who has personally given me grief for three long, _long_ years and if it wasn't for the fact that she's pretty much single-handedly kept me in business, I would have barred her long ago." He paused to wink at Rox who shrugged.

"Sounds about right," she agreed and Sergio waited for the laughter to die down before he continued.

"Despite being a real pain in the ass, I've always known she would make it big from the moment I heard her sing on this very stage. The karaoke was particularly dire that night and I'll never forget the moment she slammed down her drink, grumbling something that sounded like 'fuck this' before storming onto the stage and grabbing the mic. I swear to you, my jaw hit the fucking floor. But no matter how much I've pestered her over the years, I don't think she's ever thought she was good enough. Well Rox, all that's left to say is I fucking told you so. You deserve this, girl and I know you've got great things to come. Just don't forget us here when you're big and famous, yeah? I would say it's 'cause I'd miss ya but it's mostly 'cause I need someone to drink all this gin I stock piled after you kept drinking me dry."

"You sentimental fool," Rox sighed as she threw her arms around him, sensing the genuine fondness in his words beneath the affectionate abuse. "And don't worry about the gin," she said down the microphone as they broke apart and the applause died down. "You're not getting rid of me that easy."

Sergio turned back to the audience and pulled a face.

"Lucky us…Well, we're not getting any younger here. Give the people what they came for!"

He dived off stage and Rox brought the microphone back up to her lips with a smile.

"Yes boss."

Before she knew it, her first set was sung and the bar swelled with applause as she took a bow, emotion swirling in her chest at their genuine appreciation for her voice, something she'd dreamt of all her life. Her already huge smile widened even further as she left the stage and made her way over to where the others were sat only to be intercepted by Gladiolus as he made towards the bar. She braced herself, thinking she'd be pulled into one of his crushing hugs but he placed a hand on her waist and dragged her sideways towards him, only breaking his stride long enough to speak into her ear.

"Killing it, like I knew you would, darlin'. Go make yourself comfy, I'll get you a drink."

With that he released her and continued for the bar, clearly adamant on getting there before the hordes could descend too much. Rox just laughed; even the way he told her that he was going to get a drink did ridiculous things to her heart. The Shield needed to come with a health warning, that was for sure.

As she made it to their booth, which strangely was the one they had sat in on the first night they had come to _Somnus_ , Ignis shuffled up to make room for her to sit down.

"Very well done, Rox," he said as she settled beside him. "It's easy to see why you have quite an impressive following already."

Rox stared around the packed bar, starting to feel a little overwhelmed now she was coming down off the adrenaline of her performance. "Yeah, it's pretty insane, if a little weird…Being the centre of attention is exhausting, I don't know how you put up with it, Noctis." She inwardly thanked herself for remembering not to call him 'Prince'. She'd spent enough time around him now to know that he hated it.

Noctis stretched his arms above his head, a grin suddenly on his face.

"You're right Rox, it is exhausting. Guess that's why I'm always tired."

Ignis flashed Noctis a sharp look.

"Still not an excuse for trying to sleep for the majority of the day. I am almost certain that your sleeping habits would remain the same even if you were the last person in existence."

"He's got you there," Prompto chuckled, nudging Noctis in the side who looked about to protest but then he just sighed and nodded.

"Yep, you're probably right…"

Rox smiled; she enjoyed listening to their playful exchanges, the camaraderie between the four men was infectious and it was oddly reassuring that the future King of Lucis had such close companions to guide and support him. Given the burden of the Crown, he was certainly going to need it. Ignis in particular made her laugh, something which a month ago had seemed entirely impossible. His wickedly dry sense of humour coupled with perfectly timed and worded comments meant that more often than not he had the last laugh. Although, just to add insult to injury, it all seemed rather effortless on his part.

Her smile faded instantly, however, as she caught sight of a familiar and very unwelcome face that turned her blood to ice. He was leant up against the wall by the main doors and he just threw her a smirk before pushing open the doors and stepping out into the street.

A torrent of questions ripped through her mind and before she knew it, she was on her feet, the ice in her veins thawing and instantaneously igniting. Following him outside would be playing into whatever little game he clearly had planned but she didn't care.

She needed to have a few words herself.

"Back in a minute," she grumbled to the others before sliding out from the booth and storming after the man whose mere presence threatened to ruin her entire night. She had to deal with him quickly and alone; no doubt Gladiolus would be less than pleased to see him and given the sizeable amount of people in _Somnus_ that evening, she really didn't want to cause a scene if she could avoid it.

Pushing open _Somnus_ ' doors, she emerged into the cool evening, glancing around until she saw Vanus leant against the wall of an alleyway that led off towards the right, an infuriatingly smug look on his face which grew even more insufferable as she approached him.

The location was unsettlingly similar to the last time that she had seen him but this time there was one key difference.

He held no power over her anymore and if he even thought about attacking her, he was going to sorely regret it. Gladiolus had given her a few more training sessions and she'd managed to floor him in each one of them, much to both of their delight. If she could subdue the Prince's Shield, the pathetic man before her wasn't going to be a problem.

"Hey, Roxy," he sneered and Rox had to force herself not to wipe the smirk off his face right there and then.

"The hell do you want, Vanus?" she snarled.

"I just wanted to see how Insomnia's newest star was doing. Given all the controversy, you've done pretty well for yourself."

Hatred coursed through her blood and her hands curled into fists.

"Controversy?!" she spat in a humourless laugh. "And whose fault was that, huh? Don't think I don't know that it was you who started those rumours."

"Maybe I did, but it wasn't me who confirmed them, was it, Rox? You caused that shit all by yourself. But it's worked out so _well_ for you hasn't it." His bitter words were dripping in contempt. "And oh, that song you wrote for loverboy…I didn't know your heart was made of anything other than ice. Guess I didn't break it hard enough to find out." He sighed in satisfaction at the absolute loathing that was twisting Rox's face. "Speaking of your bodyguard, I'm surprised he's let you out of his sight. Probably for the best after last time though, given all the trouble it landed you in…"

Rox took a deep breath, feeling her temper fraying dangerously.

"Face it Vanus, you can say what you want but you're a piece of shit and the whole city knows it. I should be thanking you really. Being with you made me realise that I can do far, _far_ better and Gladio is everything I could have wished for and more. Now do us all a favour and piss off back to whatever hole you've crawled out of. Unless you want to be humiliated in front of the entire bar as your pathetic ass is forcibly removed. By me."

Vanus laughed and rolled his shoulders.

"Well would you look at that, you've grown a spine. Goes nicely with that scar you've got on your cheek. Same side as Amicitia's, right? You even have matching scars, it really is meant to be…"

Rox's hand involuntarily reached up to gently touch the marked skin of her face. Once the bruising had eventually disappeared she'd been left with a small but noticeable silvery scar just above her cheekbone. It didn't bother her too much but Gladiolus had been rather upset about it and she'd had to spend a considerable amount of time trying to console him. In her attempts to cheer him up, she'd made the very same comment about them matching and had teased him about the origins of his own, which he had fiercely claimed was his trophy of a fearsome battle, although his friends had informed her very much otherwise.

Vanus, however, seemed to be gloating, clearly pleased he had ensured that Rox would be forced to think of him every time she looked in the mirror.

"I don't think you're listening to me," she retorted, willing herself to just ignore his comments. "Leave. Now."

His lips pulled into a sinister smile. "Not yet. I wanna see how loud I have to make you scream before your knight in shining armour comes running to the rescue. Bet it won't be very loud at all…"

Rox's rage-fuelled determination faltered slightly, the way he advanced on her making it clear he didn't have just simple violence in mind. The sickness that had seized her stomach fled however as a voice sounded behind her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Both Rox and Vanus turned to see it was not Gladiolus who had come to her aid but Ignis. His face was perfectly calm, his features not betraying even a of hint of emotion although his eyes were intense as they locked with Vanus'.

"Oh? And why's that?" he challenged, stepping threateningly up toward Ignis. "You gonna run and get the big guy?"

"That won't be necessary. Now although I'm sure the lady has expressed her feelings regarding your actions, which were quite frankly disgusting, but I would like to take this opportunity to express mine also. It is beyond me why you would treat anyone as such in the first place but I am even more perplexed that you would do so to the woman you allegedly had feelings for. And clearly still do, since you have intentionally come to sabotage her evening out of what I am certain is spite. You can't be that foolish that you don't know you've already lost."

Vanus just stared at Ignis in outrage.

"Have you come out here looking for a fight, four eyes? 'Cause it ain't gonna end well for you if you carry on chatting shit."

Arching an eyebrow, Ignis slowly and deliberately rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, exposing his forearms.

"Is that so? I would be inclined to disagree. Now, I will ask you once and once only to leave."

"And if I don't? Only thing you're gonna be able to do is bore me to death. Fancy words don't win fights."

Ignis didn't even flinch as Vanus threw a punch at him. He effortlessly parried it, bringing his fist up to crunch against Vanus' nose which sent him crashing to the floor in agony. Adjusting his gloves so they were perfectly aligned with his wrists once more, Ignis settled his cool gaze on the man sprawled out on the ground before him. Vanus was clutching his nose which, judging by the amount of thick, hot blood that was pouring from it, was broken once again.

"I am quite aware. Now, have I made my point clear? I will gladly repeat myself if it's necessary."

Vanus seemed beyond words as he gingerly pushed himself to his feet and, in a last ditched attempt at defiance, he spat on the ground by Rox's and Ignis' feet before turning around and stalking away into the night.

Ignis regarded the pool of congealing blood with disgust.

"Delightful. Remind me again what you saw in him?"

"Still haven't a clue," Rox scoffed, her tense muscles sighing in relief as she finally relaxed them once Vanus was out of sight. "Thanks, Ignis. You didn't have to do that but I appreciate it."

"I hope I wasn't encroaching. I just couldn't help myself after all the trouble he has caused. And besides, I promised you I would break his nose if I ever saw him again. I pride myself on being a man of my word."

Before Rox could reply, the sound of a door being thrown open crashed through the air. It made her jump and she whipped round to see Gladiolus storming out of the bar, his jaw set and amber eyes ablaze with fury.

"Where is he?!" he growled, rage rolling off his body in waves.

"I'm afraid he's fled, Gladio," Ignis explained, relief washing over him that the Shield had only just arrived. Given the state of the man, Ignis would have likely had to restrain him had Vanus still been present, something that was far easier said than done.

"Fled? The coward…" Gladiolus' anger seemed to lesson for a moment as he caught sight of Rox and he rushed up to her, checking her over for any sign of injury. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine," Rox urged, rubbing Gladiolus' arm soothingly, the muscles of which were straining from how tightly he was gripping his hands into fists. "He didn't get chance to. Ignis broke his nose before he could."

Admiration flew across Gladiolus' face.

"You did? Nice one, Iggy."

"It was my pleasure. Clearly the once wasn't enough for him to get the message." Ignis looked between Gladiolus and Rox, catching sight of their silent but intense exchange and, sensing they needed a moment alone, he excused himself. "I better head back to check on Noct and Prompto. With any luck the Prince won't have moved an inch. I did tell the both of them to stay where they were."

"Yeah we'll be in in a sec," Gladiolus called after him, not breaking eye contact with Rox as he pulled her into an embrace and gently stroked her scarred cheek. "You alright, darlin'?"

"I'm fine. _Honestly_ ," she urged as Gladiolus looked about to protest. "Only thing I'm disappointed about is that I didn't get to break his nose but watching Ignis do it was pretty damn satisfying. Didn't know he had it in him."

A laugh rumbled in Gladiolus' chest.

"Oh Iggy's absolutely terrifying. Even I do what I'm told when he glares at me."

Rox looked up at him fondly.

"I bet you get in trouble with him a lot, don't you."

"All the damn time." Gladiolus swept some loose strands of Rox's hair behind her ear. "Well, I was gonna wait until you'd finished tonight but I kinda want to tell you now…I've got a surprise for you."

Rox felt her heart speed up in anticipation as his grin widened. "Judging by the look on your face I'm not sure whether to be excited or nervous…"

"Oh you're gonna love it, don't worry," he chuckled smugly. "Tomorrow we're finally going on our first date."

"First date? Gladio if you haven't noticed already, we've been dating for over a month…"

Something playful danced in his eyes as he winked at her.

"Believe me, I've noticed. But we've been so busy that I still haven't managed to take you on a proper date yet. I promised you the first night we met that I'd take you for the best evening of your life and I'm not about to go back on that now."

Rox rolled her eyes, trying to fight her smile.

"I see. So, where are we going then?"

The smugness returned to Gladiolus' expression.

"Now that bit's the surprise. I'll let you know the details when you need them."

"You and your surprises…" Rox sighed, her smile finally breaking through as she shook her head. "We've had some damn good nights though, they're gonna be pretty hard to top."

Sliding his hand down to hold the small of her back and pulling Rox towards him, Gladiolus arched an eyebrow at her, the amber of his gaze smouldering.

"Believe me, darlin', you ain't seen nothing yet."

He swept her into a dominating kiss, his lips wordlessly echoing the promise of his suggestive words. Rox was both annoyed and relieved that the moment was quickly shattered as the door banged open again and Sergio's voice ripped through the air.

"Alright you lovebirds, leave the heavy petting 'til later! Rox you got two minutes to get your ass back up on stage or I'm letting the public loose on the karaoke."

"Don't you dare…" she warned, taking Gladiolus' hand and storming after Sergio as he grinned and darted back into the bar.

In her second set, Rox continued to sing through the songs she'd prepared, interspersing them with requests from the audience which ended up being both genius and hilariously disastrous. Sensible suggestions became increasingly diluted by the ridiculous ones as the night wore on and soon the whole bar ended up singing along to whatever she was performing, much to Rox's delight.

When it came down to her last song of the night, there was only one that she could possibly have picked.

"Got just enough time for one more," she began as the last round of applause faded away and she walked across the stage to pick up a second microphone. "Last time I sang this was after being challenged by none other than the Prince's Shield the first night we met. I wonder, is he up for the challenge again?"

Rox's gaze found Gladiolus immediately and a huge grin spread across his face as the room swelled with cheers and laughter. He pushed himself to his feet, climbing onto the stage and taking the microphone that Rox was holding out towards him. The familiar introduction to the playful duet started playing through the speakers and Gladiolus rolled his shoulders, putting the microphone to his lips.

"Thought you'd never ask."

* * *

The following afternoon, Rox glanced at her phone as it buzzed on the table beside her and she placed down the book she'd been reading. She'd finished her list of chores for the day in record time, the mundane tasks failing to dampen her high spirits after her success the previous evening. Despite it being a Saturday, Gladiolus had duties at the Citadel for the best part of the day and so had left early in the morning, the elusive details of their apparent date that evening still remaining a mystery. He'd been immensely smug about the whole affair and his incessant insistence on keeping the details secret had driven her near to madness with curiosity.

Anticipation flared in Rox's chest, however, as she looked at the text from him that had flashed up on her screen.

' _Pack a change of clothes. I'll pick you up at 5. x._ '

Rox frowned as she read the message that was intentionally and infuriatingly vague.

A change of clothes? What on earth were they going to do, especially that required them to leave as early as 5pm?

The rest of the afternoon passed agonisingly slowly and at 4.55pm Rox sat impatiently, clutching her dutifully packed bag and alternating between stretching her neck out of the window to try and catch a glimpse of Gladiolus and illuminating her phone to see if she'd happened to miss a text from him in the few seconds that had passed since she last checked.

Why was she so damn nervous?

They'd been together long enough that 'first date' nerves shouldn't have been a problem at all but as the clock had ticked closer to 5pm, she had felt the anticipation begin to take hold as Gladiolus' loaded promise of 'the best night of her life' echoed in her head over and over again.

The sound of her apartment's buzzer made her jump out of her skin and she rushed to the door to let Gladiolus in, her eyes widening slightly as she caught sight of him stood in the hallway. The infamous leather pants were back, teamed with a tight-fitting black shirt that was tucked in at the waist and was rolled up to his elbows, exposing the feathers of his glorious tattoo. His dark hair was also tied back in a low ponytail that rested at the nape of his neck, although several unruly strands had already begun to escape.

A crooked smile pulled at his lips, wrinkling the corners of his eyes as he watched Rox's eyes wash over his attire. He arched an eyebrow in appreciation as he did the same to her, drinking in the way her navy top fell just slightly off her shoulders, the material clinging to the silhouette of her waist before a floral skirt blossomed over her hips and swirled a little way above her ankles. She'd been forced to abandon her hair to its own devices, the rebellious waves letting her do little more than just pin a few pieces back.

"Evenin', darlin'. You ready to go?"

Rox held up her bag.

"Yep, all packed. You gonna tell me what that's about?"

Gladiolus grinned and took the bag from her hand, slinging it over her shoulder.

"You'll find out soon enough. You lock up, I'll go put this in the car."

By the time the word 'car' had registered with Rox and she had shouted down the hallway to question him on just how far away this date was going to be, he'd already walked out of earshot, or had conveniently pretended not to hear. Hastily shutting her door and locking it, Rox threw herself down the stairs after him, emerging out onto the side street to see Gladiolus placing her bag into the boot of a small and rather well-worn car.

"Nice ride," she called as she approached and Gladiolus closed the boot, coming round to her side of the car.

"Thanks. The old girl's seen a fair few miles but she hasn't let me down yet. Not much to look at I know but she's a real charmer."

"Like you then," Rox teased and Gladiolus grinned, reaching over to open the passenger door.

"Exactly. After you."

Rox stared at him for a few seconds before smiling and getting into the car. "You're being rather gentlemanly tonight. I could get used to this."

Shutting her door and hopping into the driver's seat, Gladiolus thrust the keys into the ignition and the engine rumbled to life.

"Well it is our first date after all. Gotta make a good impression," he added with a wink and Rox shook her head in amusement, staring out the window as they joined a busy main road, heading notably in the direction leading out of Insomnia.

"Seriously Gladio, my curiosity is killing me," she groaned as more and more signs for the city's exit passed by. "It looks like you're not planning on spending the evening in Insomnia at all."

"That's 'cause we're not. There were three things you mentioned when I asked you about your perfect date. Do you remember what they were?"

Rox thought for a moment before answering.

"I think I said we had to have food, obviously, but it would also be nice to be a little bit out of the city centre so we could enjoy a walk and a good view somewhere."

"That's the one. So I figured why not get out of the city altogether? Now enough questions. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, darlin'."

His words had done little more than just worsen her curiosity even further but she had quickly learnt how stubborn the Shield could be and so she just did as she was told, relaxing back into the worn seat and staring out of the window, watching the spectacular landscape open out before her as they sped over the monstrous bridge that connected Insomnia to the rest of Lucis.

They drove for some time, listening to the car's radio and enjoying the warmth of the late summer evening as they passed through desert that eventually became greener, lush bushes and trees replacing the barren, scorched plains. The air grew hotter as they travelled and the breeze blew through the car as they lowered the windows, soft and cool against their faces. Rox stole a few glances towards Gladiolus as he drove, marvelling at the way the sunlight brought out a warmth in his eyes and his hair, the stray, disobedient strands curling against his neck and blowing slightly in the breeze. He had his arm leant against the door as he casually held the wheel while his other hand rested on Rox's leg, moving only when he needed to shift gears or signal he was turning and always immediately returning to its position.

It was peaceful and it felt so comfortable that Rox's nerves soon melted away, although intrigue spread through her as they descended over a hill and the landscape opened out before them, revealing the shimmering, endless expanse of the sea. It suddenly dawned on her just where they might be going.

"Are we going to Galdin Quay?" she asked, her head snapping between Gladiolus and the coast that was creeping closer by the second.

Gladiolus chuckled at the sudden excitement in her eyes and voice.

"We sure are. You been there before?"

"No but I've always wanted to. I've heard it's gorgeous…have you?"

"A few times but I've never eaten there. Iggy raves about the seafood though so it must be good."

It wasn't long before Gladiolus pulled into the carpark and they stepped out, the breeze warm and salty. Rox stared around in awe at the tranquil scene around her, the placid, turquoise sea lapping gently against golden sands and lofty palm trees that rose out of the water and swayed languidly in the evening air.

Gladiolus nudged her side as he came to stand next to her.

"Not bad, eh?"

"Not bad at all," she sighed, feeling as if the very place around them was slowly washing away the strains and stresses of the past few months. Even the soft touch of the sun on her face was somehow more soothing than it was back in the bustle of the city.

Holding out his arm, Gladiolus gestured for Rox to take it and they began strolling across the sweeping wooden bridge that hovered over the surface of the sparkling water and led to the lavish hut that housed the resort's famous restaurant.

Naturally, Ignis was right about the food; it was exquisite.

They dined at a little candlelit table that overlooked the ocean and the two, rocky peaks of an island in the distance, leisurely eating their food and tasting from each other's plates. Gladiolus had tried to keep up the façade that they really were on their first date, asking Rox all sorts of questions about her life but they quickly gave up as the both of them fabricated increasingly ridiculous stories, trying to outdo the other.

Once they were finished with their meal, they headed towards the bar as Gladiolus suggested they had another drink. As Rox settled on one of the bar stools and began perusing the extensive cocktail menu however, feeling somewhat conflicted as she wondered if Sergio would count it as betrayal, she heard Gladiolus sigh deeply beside her.

"Something wrong?" she asked, the little hazy cloud of bliss that she had been floating on dissipating slightly as she took in the frown pinching his heavy eyebrows together.

He sighed again as he looked up from his phone.

"Sorry darlin' but Iggy just texted saying he needs to talk. I would leave it 'til tomorrow but it sounds pretty urgent. You wait here and get yourself a drink, hopefully I won't be too long." He bent down to place a kiss on her lips. "Oh and they do your favourite cocktail here, I checked." Grinning, he straightened up and strolled out of sight.

Rox stared after him for a few moments before turning back to the cocktail menu, trying to remember if she had ever even mentioned her cocktail preferences to Gladiolus before. Anticipation coiled sharply in her stomach as she read the name she was certain Gladiolus was referring to, conjuring memories from the night they had met in _Somnus_.

 _"_ _Didn't have you down as a fancy cocktail drinker."_

 _Rox tilted her head, gazing up at Gladiolus and shrugging. "What can I say? I'm full of surprises." She took a sip from her drink. "No idea what it is but I'd have this 'til I couldn't walk straight."_

 _"_ _Sex on the beach," Sergio called as he walked past and Rox shot him a withering glare._

 _Of course it was._

 _Something else entirely smouldered in the depths of Gladiolus' eyes._

 _"_ _I'll bear it in mind."_

Was he just messing with her or was he genuinely hinting at his intentions for the rest of the evening?

Whichever it was, the mere thought caused heat to pool under her skin and Rox fervently cursed Gladiolus for his flawless ability to send her mind into overdrive with a few well-placed words and a flash of his wolfish smile. Ironically, she concluded that the best way to settle the nerves that had emerged once again was to indeed order the very drink that had landed her in trouble. She laughed inwardly as the cocktail arrived with various garnishes and one of the infamous umbrellas that Sergio had particularly strong feelings about and she took a sip, her smile widening as the sweet, heady liquid washed over her tongue. It was nice but Sergio still won hands down and Rox wondered why he hadn't just moved to the coast and made drinks in Galdin's fancy restaurant instead of in some dingy bar in the city.

Time ticked by and Rox began to grow worried as there was no sign of Gladiolus. Whatever Ignis needed to talk about must have been urgent and she hoped that they didn't need to leave early. Clearly Gladiolus' instructions about bringing a change of clothes suggested that he intended they stay the night, a prospect she was very much up for, especially as she glanced at the luxurious looking hotel adjoined to the restaurant.

As she got down to the sludgy remains of her melted ice, Rox thought about going to try and check up on him but a shadow loomed above her and a relieved smile spread across her face as she turned around to see Gladiolus stood beside her.

"You took your time," she said as he leant against the side of the bar. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah sorry, Rox. Just Iggy fussing as usual, nothing to worry about." He gestured to her empty drink. "You finished? Come on, I've got something to show you."

They strolled back across the bridge and down onto the beach, at which point they both took their shoes off and delighted in the feeling of the hot sand sliding between their toes and compacting under their feet. The evening was beautiful and they walked along the beach hand in hand, watching as the sun set and turned the mirrored surface of the water into a fiery canvas that undulated as the ocean's heart pulsed eternally against the shore.

There were many people enjoying the sunset but as they continued further along the sand, their numbers dwindled until they were the only people around and Rox wondered how far they were going to walk for it seemed Gladiolus was determined to continue onward.

Her curiosities were soon answered, however, as they rounded a slight outcrop of rock that obscured the rest of the beach from view and formed a little, secluded cove. Gladiolus chuckled as Rox gasped in surprise as she took in the haven nestled within and the tent that sat upon it, with two chairs placed beside a campfire that was waiting to be lit.

"I thought about staying in the hotel but I figured you'd enjoy this more," he explained, watching in pleasure as a warm smile spread across Rox's face. "Besides, the view is _far_ better out here."

Rox turned and stretched up to throw her arms around his neck.

"I gotta say, you weren't lying about being good at dates…"

"Told ya." The words rumbled in his chest as he bent down to kiss her but Rox suddenly broke their contact as something dawned on her.

"Wait…did you set this all up just now? You didn't need to phone Ignis at all, did you?"

He winked at her.

"Rumbled. But, even as good as I am at setting up camp, it would have ruined the surprise if you'd had to sit and watch me put up the tent. I brought our bags over too so don't worry about them." He disentangled himself from their embrace, crouching down beside the campfire and grabbing some flint from his bag which he began to strike, effortlessly generating sparks that quickly caught on the dry wood below. "Even packed a couple of towels in case you wanted a swim. I know I do."

"You really did think of everything…" Rox gazed out across the ocean which was now darkening as twilight approached. The idea of going for a swim in its warm waters was undeniably tempting and electricity surged down her spine as she realised she was devoid of anything to go swimming in. It didn't matter, the secluded cove shielded them from the prying eyes of the rest of the beach but there was one pair of eyes that were certain to watch her every move.

"I fancy a swim right now, actually," she continued, sauntering down to the water's edge as she slowly removed her clothes, abandoning them behind her as she walked. She could feel Gladiolus' stare burning into her from behind but she didn't turn to look at him, her heart fluttering as she stepped into the sea, delighting at how warm it was, even now the sun had entirely set. She kept walking until it became deep enough to swim and she turned onto her back, floating on the gentle waves and staring up at the star jewelled sky, admiring complex constellations that were never visible in the sleepless city of her home.

A splash brought her to her senses and she manoeuvred herself upright, looking for Gladiolus. She frowned; he wasn't on the beach anymore, nor could she see him in the water and she began to call out his name only for it to turn into a gasp as he erupted out of the water behind her and pulled her tightly to his chest. His deep voice purred in her ear, his breath hot against her already flushed skin.

"You're such a tease it hurts. Perhaps I was just hoping for a drink and a chat around the fire."

Rox smirked and twisted round so she was facing him, her breath catching in her throat as she took in the glorious sight before her. His wet hair was entirely slicked back and moonlight glistened in the water droplets that rolled down the planes of his sculpted chest and abdomen. Her eyes snapped back to his face to glare at him.

"That's the biggest lie I've ever heard."

"Hmm, you might be right…"

They moved closer to kiss, Gladiolus' hand weaving through her hair when the breeze picked up slightly and despite the water being warm, Rox felt herself shiver as the wind passed over her damp skin.

"You cold?" Gladiolus asked, the desire that had been darkening in his eyes turning to concern.

"I'm fine," Rox said quickly, trying to pull him down into a kiss again and frowning when he resisted.

"You've got goosebumps…I'm not having you catch a cold or something. Come on, let's head back to shore."

With that he began to swim back to the beach, cutting through the dark water with strong, powerful strokes. Rox just rolled her eyes and followed him, grabbing a towel Gladiolus had left for her on the edge of the haven and wrapping it around her shoulders. She swept her eyes across the moonlit beach and the anticipation that had been building all evening peaked agonisingly as one very key detail came to her attention.

"Where are my clothes, Gladio?" she demanded, glaring at the insufferably smug look that flew across his face and trying to not to smile.

He shrugged, prowling towards her.

"No idea what you're talking about."

"Gladio if you've hidden them I'll…"

She didn't get chance to protest any further as he pounced, sweeping the towel from her shoulders and lifting her off the ground in one movement. Their lips never parted as he lowered her down onto a towel, which Rox noted momentarily was too conveniently laid out to be a coincidence, before Gladiolus pressed himself down on top of her and all other thoughts other than the man above her became impossible.

"So much for being a gentleman," she gasped as they broke apart, their hands still roaming across the other's slightly damp skin.

Gladiolus grinned, something predatory flashing in his eyes.

"I told you before Rox, I may be a gentleman but I also love being a scoundrel. And it just so happens I left the gentleman back at the restaurant."

Well, she was hardly going to complain about _that_.

A little while later they were sat around the campfire, clothed once more and enjoying the peace of the evening and each other's company as they gazed out across the ocean that shimmered with silver and the warm lights of the restaurant that illuminated its silhouette in the distance.

Rox hummed in contentment as she nestled against the crook of Gladiolus' warm neck. She'd gone to sit in the vacant chair next to him but he had firmly pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her and she had happily stayed like that ever since.

"Things really have worked out for us, haven't they?" she murmured against his chest and she smiled as she felt him kiss the top of her head, his thumb stroking her back.

"I guess it could be worse."

He grunted and then chuckled as Rox poked him in the side, knowing exactly where he was most ticklish. She twisted her head up to look at him however as his chest swelled with a long sigh and she saw his eyes were fixed on the horizon, something intense in the depths of their amber.

"I warn you now, the next few years ain't gonna be straight forward. Things are brewing in the Empire and I don't think it'll be long 'til Noct has to take the throne. I know neither of us banked on anything serious at the start and I need to know if this is what you want."

Rox reached up to run her fingers through his hair that had since dried and pooled across his shoulders, pulling his head down so she could look into his eyes..

"When have things ever been straight forward? Life can throw whatever it likes at us, I don't care. I'll have your back regardless."

A fond smile pulled at Gladiolus' lips and he tightened their embrace even more.

"Same goes for you, darlin'.

They sat in a contemplative silence for a few minutes, the only sounds their breathing and the tumble of the waves as they gently broke against the shore until Rox spoke again.

"You know, I never really used to like the night. It always felt sombre and lonely, despite the fact that just outside my window the whole city came to life when the sun fell. Now though, I realise how beautiful the night can be when you've got someone to share it with."

"You never have to feel alone again, Rox," Gladiolus said, his voice soft yet intense.

Rox just smiled and closed her eyes.

"I never want this night to end. Any chance you could stop the sun from rising?"

A chuckle reverberated in the chest beneath her.

"I think you'd miss the sun too much if it disappeared. Besides, according to you, I'm the one that makes the sun _rise again_ , not disappear."

Rox groaned as he teased her once again with her song lyrics.

"You're never gonna drop that, are you?"

"Nope, never."

She didn't need to open her eyes to know that he was grinning like an idiot. An idiot with an oversized ego and an even bigger heart that somewhere along the way she had fallen head over heels for. As Gladiolus had said, the future was bound to have its difficulties but she wasn't worried.

If nothing else, it would give her plenty to sing about.

* * *

 **Thank you to everyone for all the support with this story! I never quite decided if this was AU or not and I think I'll leave it that way. After all, the future is a mystery to all of us...**

 **Feel free to let me know if there's anything else you'd like me to write :)**

 **Until next time!**


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